Just Another Perfect Soldier
by sparkley-tangerine
Summary: HPxGundamWing xover.SLASH!HPX1!The summer after Harry's 6th Year, Voldemort kidnaps him, letting insane Doctor J turn him into the perfect weapon. Escaping, Harry needs protection and a comrade who knows how it feels to be considered a 'perfect soldier'
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I'm going to be dreadfully honest when I confess that I've only had the chance to see ten maybe fifteen episodes of Gundam Wing. It was on at the most ridiculous time of night for me to stay up and still be conscious for school by six in the morning. I loved the show though. Any help would be appreciated though!

WARNING: This will be **_SLASH_**. Harry/Heero slash actually. Then it will be 3X4 and 2X5.

Disclaimer (ALL CHAPTERS): Harry Potter belongs to JKR, Gundam wing belongs to...well, I'm not exactly sure, but it isn't mine! So there!

* * *

Chapter One: The Plan, The Capture, The Escape

June 5th : The summer After Harry's Sixth Year

Voldemort smiled at the man bowed down before him. This would be perfect, the ultimate revenge. How could he be defeated by his pure, innocent enemy, whose only weapon was his purity and innocence, if he were suddenly stripped of it? Pity the mastermind before him was mad, he would have been a great asset to his ranks.

Voldemort smirked. Did the darkness really matter? Bella, Lucius, hell, even himself had lost their sanity on this road to greatness. First, he should hear what the good Doctor has to say.

The man did not fidget as he awaited the Dark Lord's answer. He'd lost his most prized possession when the war between the colonies and Earth ended and 01 disappeared with the rest of the pilots, leaving him with nothing to show for all his hard work. That and he wasdead to the world. This alliance would work out perfectly.

"So what you suggest, is that with the help of my magic and your technology, I could turn someone into the perfect solider. The perfect weapon to use against my enemies?"

J nodded. "I've already had the perfect test subject, but I was forced to work with just muggle means. Your magic should not only enhance the subject mentally and physically but magically as well."

Voldemort frowned. "You had? What happened to it?"

J grimaced. "I thought I had him under control. No emotions or opinions, just following orders. Turns out he had them all along; he just suppressed them until he spent time with others like him. Rest assured that this will not be the case this time."

The Dark Lord looked skeptical.

"And just how can you assure this?"

J let a fierce smile uncurl across his face.

"With the right amount of magic, technology and conditioning, I plan to take complete control away from our subject. No one is strong enough to feel remorse or guilt or indecision if they have no memory of experiencing it." Here, J cleared his throat. "There has been one problem, however."

As Voldemort's expression went cloudy, J continued.

"The subject will have to be young; late teens early twenties at the most."

Voldemort nodded.

"My followers' children all fit that profile."

The insane doctor nodded. "They do but they just aren't strong enough magically. I will need someone almost as strong, if not as strong as yourself, who is, for the most part, untouched by copious amounts of dark magic. Young Mister Malfoy would have been a good choice but as he is no longer loyal, we must look outside the ranks."

Voldemort scowled at the reminder of Lucius' son's betrayal. Now was not the time to loose his short-temper though. His previous plan popped up in his mind again.

"Doctor J, I would have total control over my subject, no?"

J frowned to himself. In theory, Voldemort would be able to control his weapon completely, but there might be a few who, like his last subject, could defy orders and re-learn free will. The chances of Voldemort actually choosing such a person were almost none-existent.

"Yes. With my specialized combination the subject would, for all essential purposes, be the perfect solider and the perfect weapon for your ranks."

The snake-Lord's smile was like death.

"I have the perfect candidate. Lucius!"

A tall, aristocratic looking wizard with long, pale blond hair stepped into the room, his pale skin glowing in the torch light. There were very few age lines around those cold, gray eyes, those present making him look all the more distinguished instead of aging him. His face was an expressionless mask as he bowed low to the Dark Lord.

The skeletal snake man gave his right hand an almost loving grin of insane pleasure.

"Lucius! I have a plan that will put you and your family back in my good graces for generations to come should you be successful. Do you accept?"

The question was redundant. How could the blond not acceptwithout risking torture or death for his impertinence? The answer was obvious.

"I am your humble servant." Lucius Malfoy said at once, his eyes bright at the idea of gaining his master's favor again.

Voldemort hissed in content.

"The good Doctor J, to your left, has created the way to give me the perfect weapon. One that will destroy Albus Dumbledore and his armies of Light and Goodness. Doctor J has agreed to make me the ultimate weapon."

The statement was left open, giving Lucius the hint to question what the weapon would be.

"My Lord?" he ventured, looking and sounding a bit unsure.

Voldemort smirked.

"Can you get a group together and pay our favorite boy-hero a visit? I'd like to invite him over."

Lucius looked shocked for a moment before returning his master's look.

"I can have him here within a couple of hours and no one will be none the wiser until its too late."

"Who will you take with you? I want the boy relatively unhurt."

The Malfoy Head grinned before replying.

"Bella, McNair, Dovoilo and Zabini."

A nod of approval sent the blond striding out of the room with the Dark Lord's insane laughter sounding behind him.

* * *

July 5th: Voldemort's Liar

Harry sighed as he looked around his cell for the hundredth time. He'd been thrown into this stone room a few days ago, a week at the most, and had not been tortured or injured at all. It was utterly confusing.

Just like clockwork, everyday one Death Eater or another would bring him his meals with a few potions on the side, three times a day. At first, Harry had resisted eating or drinking anything, fearing it had been poisoned. To the Gryffindor's surprise, he was put into a full body bind and force fed the food and potions if he did not co-operate. He had fought for tow days, waiting for the pain he thought would come, but only ended up perplexed when it didn't. It was almost as if they were trying to keep him healthy.

Nervously, he tapped his hoot. Today's Death Eater was late. That, for the most ironic reason, made Harry even more nervous. He actually wanted to see the Death Eaters than be stuck in this damn room alone.

Something clinked outside his cell in the stone hallway. Harry, fed or not, was still being kept in the dungeon.

Slowly, the Boy-Who-Lived approached the wooden door that protected his cell. It looked like any traditional dungeon door, complete with a tiny box of metal bars near the top.

Cautiously, he stuck his face closer to the barred opening and listened intently.

Voices. Muffled and distant but voices all the same. Harry wrapped a grimy hand around the bars. This was not good.

_'Please let them just be passing by.'_ Harry thought as the soft clicking of boots came closer. He backed away from the door and looked around fearfully before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes.

_'I won't hide from them. I'm stronger than that.'_

The sounds stopped just outside his door. A jeering voice made him jump.

"No more nice meals now, Potter." It was McNair.

Harry glared.

"Aw, and I was so looking forward to our daily visits. Tsk, such a pity."

The Death Eater growled, visibly holding himself back from cursing Harry, before smirking.

"You won't be so cocky when this guy is through with you. He makes Bella look sane."

Before Harry could process the dark wizard's words, McNair opened the cell door, a maniacal grin on his fleshy face.

With him and a fellow, masked Death Eater stood a man with long, gray hair and eyes covered with mechanical looking goggles. His right arm was cybernetic and he was wearing a long white coat with a name tag reading 'Doctor J'.

Taking in his appearance, Harry then noticed the syringe held tightly in the 'doctor's' left hand.

"Hold him." Came the command in an excited whisper.

Harry fought the hands that roughly grabbed him but it was useless. Constant starvation by the Dursleys had left the wizard with a smaller than normal body, at least in the muscle department. He couldn't fight two fully grown men, expect to win and not be broken in half.

Still struggling against the tight hold, Harry could do nothing but glare at the doctor as he slid forward.

"Don't worry, Mr. Potter." J said, his voice airily and condescending. "You'll feel much better when I'd done with you. Almost like someone new."

When he was close enough, Harry spat in the man's face. There was a moment of silence as J slowly wiped the spit off his cheek with a tissue. Harry seemed to have missed the lesson on survival that states to not piss off the insane psychotics.

"You can't do this to me. People will come for me and when they do, you'll be sorry."

J angrily jabbed he needle in the boy's arm and Harry began to struggle again.

The three men waited as Harry's movements became sluggish and weakened until he slumped in their grasp and was dragged out behind Doctor J.

* * *

August 28th: Three Days Before Harry's Seventh Year

He was running. That was the first thing Harry noticed when he suddenly came to. The sky was bright from the hot summer sun, making his eyes sting. The wizard's feet were bleeding and bare as he ran down the paved road and his head throbbed but one message stood out clearly in his cluttered mind: SURVIVE.

Dark emerald eyes took in their surroundings and immediately accessed his injuries. He had a bruised rib and a small cut on his calf, but other than that, Harry seemed to be fine. Better than fine.

Thoughts swam through his head in a confusing jumble of words and phrases.

Mission. Orders. Follow. Perfect. Avada Kedavra must be cast from a wrist that is tilted forty-five degrees upward. Magic. Dark. Duty. Failure is not an option. Solider. Dragon's blood is the main ingredient of the Philosopher's Stone. Gun. Shoot straight.

On and on the words continued as Harry ran, never breaking stride or tiring. Reaching the outskirts ofa city, Harry immediately recognized it as London and all thoughts zero-ed in on SURVIVAL. He had a safe place here. FIND IT.

Suddenly he was running up a familiar street. Number One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven.

_'The Headquarters of the Order of The Phoenix can be found at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.'_

A grim looking house appeared and Harry silently walked up to its door and opened it. The place was silent as he entered, almost like a tomb. He needed to find the SAFETY.

Entering the kitchen, the Boy-Who-Lived took notice of the people in the room, automatically looking for escape route and weaknesses. The shocked faces didn't have a chance to register as his mind spoke up again.

SAFETY REACHED. MISSION COMPLETE. SHUT DOWN AND REPAIR.

Then Harry Potter passed out onto the floor of the Headquarters of the very people who had been searching for him.

* * *

A/N: I know J was supposed to have died but he's alive. How? Magic. That and a healthy bit of self preservation.

Review! For every review not written, a Harry goes straight! Save him!

S. Tangerine


	2. A Magic Show

A/N: Back to school now. I'll update on the weekends again. This time I'm going to do both stories at the same time, so no waiting extra long for each chapter. Just once a week. Thanks for the reviews!

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Chapter Two: A Magic Show

August 30th: Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts

Albus Dumbledore was an old man. Well, technically he was an old wizard but either way, Albus Dumbledore was old.

Hogwarts' most famous Headmaster sighed as he looked down at the papers before him. He had been at Grimmauld Place when Harry had suddenly shown up and collapsed on the floor, exhausted. Just two hours later completely refreshed and having no memory of his whole imprisonment the boy had awoken and asked for something to eat. That's when the old sage-like wizard noticed the changes.

Harry had always been quick, a Seeker needed to be, but this..._new_ Harry was inhumanly fast at times. He'd become much taller, still under Ronald Weasley's impressive height but now taller than Hermione Granger, something he was not before the end of June. Molly claimed the boy must have hit a growth spurt but Albus was uneasy.

Everything about Harry seemed darker now. His gravity defying hair was still as unruly as before but seemed to swallow any light that hit it, instead of reflecting it back into the world. Eyes that had once been a bright startling green were still starling but nowa dark emerald color.

Other than physically, Harry seemed to be perfectly normal. Almost too normal.

Albus shook his head. No used to ponder this at the moment as Harry had no idea what happened after he was captured or before he ended up in London. What worried the Headmaster at the moment, was the fact that Harry had been captured and for nearly two months Albus and his contacts could not find him.

Harry needed protection, constant protection. One averageperson wouldn't cut it, that's why Albus had contacted an old acquaintance, Lady Une, asking for her best man.

What he got were five very special files on five very unique boys who would be perfect for the job. Although he had only asked for one, Lady Une had told him that they were her best and worked together. Albus could not have one without the other four.

Determined, the Headmaster took the first file off of the stack and flipped it open again. In the corner, held by a paper clip, was the photo of a young Chinese man, his black hair pulled back into a tight horsetail. His face and dark eyes were an emotionless mask.

The papers said his name to be Chang Wufei of the Dragon Clan on L5. A list of his physical and weapon abilities covered the rest of the page and a bit of the next. Just like the other four, this young man had also been a Gundam pilot. It was his behavioral status that caught Dumbledore's eye.

A Dr. Po had written that Mr. Chang was a loner and a former scholar with a misogynistic view on society as well as one of few warriors who actually fought for true justice using honor and strength. The Headmaster really had no reason to deem him unfit as one of Harry's...bodyguards.

The next file held the picture of a young man with a startling resemblance to young Draco Malfoy, the only difference being the open emotions displayed on a smiling face and the teal colored eyes. Dumbledore was shocked and pleasantly surprised to find that, Quatre Raberba Winner was in fact an Arab from L4. Heir to the Winner fortune and business, his behavior was described as being that of a reluctant soldier with an optimistic outlook on life and the gift of empathy. Again, another flawless selection for the group he was trying to assemble.

Trowa Barton from L3 was another emotionless faced youth with long bangs covering one dark green eye. His file was mysteriously short as the pilot had suffered from amnesia that gave him no memory of his life as a child. Mr. Barton was considered the spy of the group, being very stealthy and secretive. That description reminded Albus of Severus, minus the snarky personality.

The violet eyed brunette in the next picture made Albus smile slightly to himself. Duo Maxwell had the most interesting file and the most amusing. It appeared as though Mr. Maxwell had gotten a hold of his file before it had been sent to the Headmaster and the young man had taken it upon himself to 'fix' some of the 'mistakes' in the report and add his own comments. One psychologist had written that Mr. Maxwell appeared to suffer from a split personality to which the young man replied with a crude drawing of what appeared to be the head of a Gundam making a rather obscene gesture. The words "Shinigami doesn't like you!" were also crammed into a tiny speech bubble above the drawing.

The laughter in those bright blue eyes dimmed as Albus Dumbledore held up the last file. Heero Yuy looked very much like Harry Potter, the unruly black hair switched with unruly dark brown, dark emerald green replaced with a Prussian blue. From the colony of L1, he was the man Albus was looking for. Even his file had named him the Perfect Soldier. It was not that, however, that made Dumbledore want to meet the boy. It was the fact that Heero Yuy held the same look in his eyes that Harry Potter had acquired since his escape from Voldemort.

Fawkes thrilled as the old Headmaster rose from his seat wearily. It was time to try and convince these five young men to help him win the war and protect a young man's life.

* * *

Lady Une watched in mild amusement as Duo Maxwell bickered with the Chinese man beside him. Wufei had been complaining about his recent partner slowing him down during his missions. Again. Apparently the newest partner had no honor, was a complete moron and was more likely to shoot Wufei than their enemies. Everyone knew the ex-Gundam pilot would rather be alone for his missions but could not for obvious and strictsafety reasons.

"A partner covers your back, Fei!" Duo said as though he were speaking to a child. His lover gave him an angered look.

"The only thing my partner is going to be covering my back with is bullet holes, Maxwell. He acts like a blubbering woman whenever he actually makes a shot!"

Quatre, ever the peacemaker, decided to step in and stop the arguing before it became something completely inappropriate. They _were_ at the Preventer's Headquarters' to receive their next assignment.

"Guys, just calm down. Duo, Wufei knows he needs backup on his missions, he's just being difficult. One would think you'd be used to it by now."

Both ex-pilots shot the blond a dark look that was ignored as the empath addressed Lady Une.

"You called us here about a unique mission requiring special skills?"

She nodded.

"We just have to wait for client to arrive. He has read your file and will ultimately try and convince you to fight for him."

"When will he arrive?" Heero asked curtly, his voice emotionless. To an outsider it would seem as though the messy haired soldier didn't care about the ambiguosity of the mission but the room's occupants knew better.

Une shrugged. "He's a bit eccentric." Was all the explanation they received.

Duo and Wufei were still bickering quietly when the fireplace suddenly flared a deep green color.

Albus Dumbledore stepped out of the flames to face five guns pointed directly at him and the exasperated yet slightly proud face of Lady Une.

Albus cleared his throat nervously before smiling widely at the female commander.

"I see you have already assembled them. Wonderful! Their reflexes are impeccable as well!"

The guns hadn't moved.

Lady Une cleared her throat.

"This is our client. I'm sure he'd appreciate it if you would lower your weapons."

Duo and Quatre were the first to comply; Duo grinning at the outrageous orange and violet robes that Dumbledore wore while Quatre used his 'space heart' to sense the man's intentions. The blond found that other than a fair bit of undeserved self-guilt, sadness and extreme worry, the old man was full of life and goodness.

The other three pilots complied as well but slower, the suspicious look not leaving their usually emotionless faces.

"Albus." Une greeted with a strict nod of her head. She reminded him very much of her mother, his Deputy Headmistress. Perhaps it was the hair. Those severe buns had a way of makinghim feel as though he had been caught in the broomcloset with a girl again.The Headmaster smiled in return before taking a seat at the table. The smile never left his face as the group sat around him.

"How much have you explained to them about us?" The question was directed at Une who, to the surprise of the five pilots, gave the man a small smirk.

"Nothing. I'm leaving this up to you. You must convince them to accept your mission, not me."

Albus nodded, his eyes twinkling.

"Very well." He suddenly stopped at turned to Duo. The chocolate haired boy was red in the face. " Merlin, are you alright, young man?"

Duo's mouth seemed to explode as he lent forward, his violet eyes shinning.

"What's with the dress? Aren't you a dude? Why did you come out of the fireplace? How did you come out of the fireplace? How old are you? Is your name really Albus? What-"

Whatever Duo was about to ask was suddenly cut off as his mouth kept moving but no sound resonated from it.

The stranger was holding a sleek, slightly curved stick in his withered hand, the rounded tip pointing slightly at the now voiceless Duo.

"I'm dreadfully sorry about that. Mr. Maxwell did not seem like he was about to stop anytime soon and while time is of the essence right now, I am an old man and my memory is not what it used to be. I fear I was beginning to forget what he had first asked me."

There was a stunned silence as the five potential body guards watched the man flick the stick and have a stack of files and papers appear form nowhere. An ink pot sat beside what appeared to be a roll of parchment, an eagle feather sticking out of it's top at a slight angle. Albus shifted through the papers, mumbling to himself.

Finally someone spoke.

"How did you do that?" Quatre asked, looking amazed. Dumbledore looked up from his papers, his bushy eyebrows rising in amusement.

"That, my boy, was magic."

With another flick of his wand, Albus Dumbledore proceeded to convince the five friends that magic really did exist.

* * *

"This is impossible." Heero declared for the fifteenth time, looking at the biscuit and cup of tea he held in his hands. He could feel it, see it, hear the other's eating theirs, smell the enticing scents rising from the snacks and he had already taken a rather large bite out of the biscuit, but the Perfect Soldier still could not grasp the concept that magic was real.

Duo swallowed another biscuit before rolling his eyes at Heero.

"You've just seen the man step out of green flames from a fireplace, take my voice away, make papers appear out of thin air, seen a phoenix and are actually holding a cup of tea and a cookie that came out of his wand and you're still doubting magic?"

Trowa sipped his herbal tea quietly for a moment before looking at Duo.

"His world has been turned upside down. Give him time. Mr. Dumbledore has yet to explain why he needs our help."

The sage like wizard nodded, his eyes serious.

"There is no deterring your men, Lady Une."

Albus pulled a picture out of one of his files and handed it to Wufei who was the closest on his right. It was a picture of Harry under a large oak tree. It was taken just that June after him and his friends had finished their Sixth Year exams and for once, the young man lookedlooked content.

"This young man is Harry Potter."

Duo had taken the picture, looked at it once before grinning and flipping it over to show the others.

"He looks a lot like Heero don'tcha think?" Before anyone could answer the braided teen had flipped it back over and was scrutinizing it. "He looks kind of small though."

Duo kept turning the picture at different angles before Wufei growled at him and quickly snatched it out of his hands, giving it to Quatre. The Chinese youth looked back at Dumbledore, his face determined.

"I won't assassinate someone without a very good reason, Sir. Especially one so young as him."

Albus and Lady Une shared a look of slight amusement before the Headmaster addressed the hidden question.

"Assassinating Mr. Potter would beextremely counter-productive to whatI want you all to do for me, Mr. Chang." The picture had circled the table, ending with Heero who gave it back with mixed feelings. There was something about the boy that made the soldier thankful this wouldn't be one of _those_ missions.

Dumbledore took the photo and looked at it with fondness. Realization seemed to bloom in the group's collective conscious. The old wizard before them cared for the teen. Another flick of the wand made the picture spring up and appear like a hologram. To the group's amazement the image began to move like a video.

A cheery male voice sounded 'off camera' as the picture moved.

"Smile for the camera Harry! School's out soon, exams are over and you'll be with my family in a week or two tops this summer. Stop looking as though Dad's almost run over Hedwig again!"

Harry gave whoever was holding the camera a mock-death glare before smirking. Cupping his hands over his mouth, the boy shouted in the distance.

"Hermione, Ron's gotten hold of your camera again!"

A shrill female voice sounded as the image began to fade and Harry laughed at something the group could not see. Dumbledore smiled at the sound.

"If you remember, I explained that there is a war going on right now, between literally the forces of good and evil, and this young man has been stuck in the middle of it."

That came as a shock to most of the ex-pilots. Not counting the fact that the guy's tale sounded likethe introductionout of a bad Star Wars rip-off but the idea that this one kid was in the middle of a war struck close to home.

Quatre nodded first. "So what's the mission?"

"At the beginning of the summer," Albus began, his eyes looking sombre. "Harry's home was attacked. His Uncle was at work when Harry was taken and his Aunt and cousin killed. A man named Tom Riddle, who likes to call himself Lord Voldemort, had his followers, whom he calls Death Eaters, kidnap Harry. We knew nothing, even with our magic, before it was too late. I had my contacts and members of the Order of the Phoenix, a group I created to stop Tom, looking for him around the clock but he could not be found."

Wufei lent forward. "You wish for us to find your charge then, Mr. Dumbledore?"

Albus shook his head. "Two days ago, Mr. Potter showed up at my Headquarters with a few cuts and bruises but otherwise unharmed. How he escaped relatively uninjured we do not know and we may never know, as the last thing Mr. Potter remembers is sitting in his room at his relatives' home."

The group was quiet, waiting for the bomb to drop.

"I would like to hire you, all of you, to protect Mr. Potter. I am the Headmaster of the Wizarding School he is now attending, but even there he is not safe." Here the old man faltered for a moment. "The kidnapping- it changed him. Harry, to his chagrin, was very short for his age but has suddenly become taller, darker and more suspicious, yet completely normal as well. He's not the Harry I knew and that happened because I didn't protect him. Will you help me?"

It seemed undignified for this man to be pleading with five teenagers to help him and Lady Une still had not said a word. Trowa spoke up.

"Why should we? What makes you think we are any match against wizards and witches? Why should we enter a war that has nothing to do with us?"

The wizard took a deep calming breath. "It has everything to do with your world. Did you all not know that each of you is very special. The first signs of magic on the colonies. Mr. Barton has a connection to animals. How could Mr. Winner be an empath? Why are Mr. Maxwell's eyes such an extraordinary violet color? How could Mr. Chang be the only survivor of his clan and Mr. Yuy the Perfect Soldier without there being _something_ about you all?"

Dumbledore looked at each boy in turn. Duo was first.

"Harry is an orphan, taken in my his Aunt and her husband or not. They were not fond of magic."

Wufei.

"He has always been an advocate of justice and fighting the good fight."

Quatre.

"He has a pure soul. Tom is no fool. He made Harry the offer of joining him when the boy was eleven. Offered him his heart's desire and he turned him down."

Trowa.

"He's lost his memories of that imprisonment. I can't help fix what has happened to him."

Heero.

"He's the only one who can stop this war."

There was again a moment's silence before Heero spoke for them all.

"Mission accepted."

* * *

A/N: This might be the last update for a while. I messed my elbow up and I've got tons of work to do for the next few weeks. Luckily I finished this one last week sometime but I've just gotten around to editing it. The next update will be 'If I Never Knew You'. Thanks for the reviews!

Please Review, for every review not written a HEERO goes straight! Save him! Relena's awaiting!

S.Tangerine


	3. Suspicious Thoughts

A/N: So sorry this took so long to get up but I've had so many assignments to of and then, just last night, as I pull up my word program, I get one of the worst 24 hours bugs you can get. I'm feeling much better now though, thank gods!

Thanks for the reviews! I've become hooked on Gundam Wing fanfics though... I need a hobby!

* * *

Chapter Three: Suspicious Thoughts

His nerves tingled and possibilities slid over his mind, like rain drops down a window, as he starred at the chess board. The outcome all depended on Ron's next move. If Weasley moved his knight to the left, Harry would win in three moves, but if he took the right it would be over in two. Either way this would be over soon. The Boy-Who-Lived let no emotions show on his face as the freckled boy studied the board.

They were sitting in the drawing room of Number 12, waiting for Dumbledore. Of course, only Harry knew they were waiting for Dumbledore, how he wasn't sure, but that was nothing new these days. Harry had chosen the seats, his front facing both the door and the fireplace, alert for any signs of danger. His magic was tracking the other auras in and around the house for intruders. His mind hesitated to say enemies, mostly because, if he was honest with himself, he now saw everyone as an enemy, potentially or not.

The boy across from him was taking an extra long time at making his move. Ronald Weasley. Sixth Weasley. Average Wizard. Strategist. Betrayal Possibility stands at 30.

Thoughts like these had appeared ever since Harry had suddenly come back to the Order Headquarters, relatively unharmed from his capture by Voldemort. Everyone he knew had been assessed in his mind like a complex computer program, weighing their probability of danger and betrayal like a high stakes game of poker. It was like he was stuck in some sort of mental limbo of soldier versus civilian ideals.

To his right, Hermione flipped another page. Immediately he assessed her. Hermione Granger. Muggle-born witch. Powerful. Intelligent. Betrayal Possibility stands at 10. Amazingly hers was the lowest in the whole household. Lupin was next to her at 15, the extra five for his lycanthropy.

Ginny was on the floor, playing with what appeared to be a bright purple mass of cotton, her Pigmy Puff named Arnold. Ginerva Weasley. Seventh Weasley. Somewhat Powerful Witch. Secretive. Betrayal Possibility stands at 25.

Ron tapped his chin with a freckled index finger as Harry blinked and looked back at the board. A part of his mind rebelled, loudly, against thinking like this, like his friends were enemies but it appeared his dormant Slytherin character traits had come out and slaughtered his Gryffindor ones. Or at least taken them captive and began poking them with sharp pointy stick.Arnold squealed and Harry suddenly found himself struggling against the mad urge to shoot the damn thing. Or curse it. That thought appalled Gryffindor Harry very much.

Ron had moved to the right. Again the tingling showed Harry the many possible outcomes but success was the only option. Harry quickly set up his win. Just as Weasley was about to put himself in check, another more urgent sensation flared up and Harry's eyes snapped toward the fireplace as he stood. His magic was flowing down to his fingertips as Albus Dumbledore stepped out of the green flames looking mildly happy.

Albus Dumbledore. Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Extremely Powerful. Manipulative leader. Betrayal Possibility stands at 23.

Dumbledore looked at him and something in his tired blue gaze set Harry's instincts on high alert. The possibilities of why he was here were endless but logic told Harry he was going to Hogwarts a bit earlier than anyone else expected. It was a good thing the Boy-Who-Lived had packed his trunk late that night.

Hermione put her book down and looked between of the two most powerful wizards she'd ever meet. Something was up. Ron and Ginny and every other well meaning Weasley could try and ignore it but there was a heavy cloud of tension in whatever room Harry entered these days. It was like he was always ready for an attack or just for something to happen. Her friend had looked so suspiciously at everyone and that hard gaze had made Hermione shiver.

"Harry." Dumbledore greeted, the twinkle slowly returning back into those ageless blue eyes. "Can you pack for Hogwarts in, say, fifteen minutes? We need to talk about many things this year."

Harry nodded and made to move but Ron protested.

"Can Harry stay until we finish our game? He's barely been here a week!"

Harry swiftly moved his piece. "Checkmate."

Ginny giggled as her brother gapped at the board in awe and confusion. Harry just focused on the old wizard before him.

"I've already packed. When do we depart?"

It was an odd phrasing of words from Harry and the awkward silence that followed was almost unbearable for four of the room's occupants, until Dumbledore told Harry to retrieve his trunk while he talked to Molly Weasley.

Moments later they left in a flash of emerald flame.

* * *

The four Preventers had taken a portkey to Hogwarts, that in itself was a journey worth mentioning, arriving just outside the gates to a majestic looking castle. Duo had taken a moment (or a few) to ask odd questions about the castle's appearance while the other's soaked up the beauty of the landscape.

Heero acknowledged the lush green hills and bright blue sky long enough to see that there were potential threats everywhere. The part of his mind that had been spending too much time around Duo groaned in dismay at having to be at alert twenty four seven while the conditioned part of his mind practically grinned in glee at the challenge.

Instead of leading them toward the school, the group was mildly surprised to be lead to a quaint looking town that seems to be built around a train station. What were obviously witches and wizards bustled about talking about things that confused the newly discovered wizards who had found themselves listening in for danger.

Dumbledore had stopped at their first shop, asking with a quiet kind of respect for the independent young men to let him 'do all the talking' and for 'Mr. Chang to please use a firm hand on Mr. Maxwell when necessary'.

Over the next couple of hours they were outfitted for robes and bought school supplies, books, cauldrons, potions ingredients and most importantly wands. It appeared as though Mr. Ollivander had stopped by his Hogsmeade branch just in time to outfit the five teenage bodyguards with the perfect wands.

Duo made a comment as they left about having had his share of freaky old men asking for his assistance and shuddered after thinking about his comment.

A tour of the school followed the shopping trip, Dumbledore explaining a bit about each subject and that each student was separated into a different house based on their personality before bringing them to their rooms hidden behind a portrait of four medieval looking people; two male, two female. A password ("Protection") made the painted people pulled out their wands and shoot multi-colored sparks into the air before swinging open.

"There are three rooms connected to a shared common room. Each has their own bathroom but you will need to bunk up, two to a room. One of you will need to share with Mr. Potter. He shall be arriving today and will most likely be able to answer any remaining questions you have. I shall send someone to show you the way to my office when he arrives. Let me know your room selections then."

The twinkle in the old man's eye told them he already knew exactly who was rooming with who and he had no problem with it.

Duo grinned and waited until their new boss had left before giving Heero a teasing look.

"Looks like you're going to be stuck with our little charge. I hope he doesn't jump on the bed to wake you up. You'll shoot first and ask questions later and we'll lose our job."

Heero allowed himself to glare at the braided brunette before selecting the middle room of the three for himself and this Harry Potter person.

"Do you really think that he will be so young?" Trowa asked in his calm, quiet voice as they all crowded into a large cream and beige colored room. The furniture was black and squishy looking in the cheery firelight that radiated from the huge fireplace in the middle of the room.

Duo shrugged. "This place has seven class level according to Father Christmas back there and the children here start at eleven. We have six years of studying to do to catch up to our age group. Chances of _our _kid being our age seems small."

Wufei nodded as he dropped his duffels. "That picture as well. He's either a very short seventeen year old or younger than ourselves."

Quatre sighed and sat on one of the couches. "Either way we have to do our best to protect him. I get the feeling this was not the first time he has been taken. This will be just as worrisome as watching out for those mysterious 'new Gundam' sightings this summer."

Heero, who had unpacked in the span of those five minutes, returned with his laptop in hand to hear the blond's comment.

"We have all been captured by the enemy beforeand those sightings were neither confirmed or have theycontinued." The perfect solider stated as he flipped the screen up and frowned. A message scrolled across his screen in a flashy bright yellow script.

_**Mr. Yuy, your computer will not work here in Hogwarts without the right charm. Professor Flitwick, my Charms expert, will arrive tomorrow and should be able to assist you in your dilemma. - Headmaster Dumbledore.**_

Heero scowled at the screen.

"My computer does not work." He stated into the silence of the other boys thinking to themselves.

Duo nearly choked. "It's not working? At all? Is it broken?"

In a flash he was over reading the message.

Trowa gave them a somewhat questioning look from his one green eye.

"It needs a charm." Heero replied and the other three nodded in confused understanding.

A sudden CRACK into the room made five guns appear almost instantly into five different hands and five shots rang out. Something squealed before diving under a chair and screaming.

"Don't hurt Dobby! Dobby is good! Dobby is a good elf! Dobby is bringing a message!"

All five had shot up at the sudden noise but Dobby's shaking voice tugged at Quatre's heart. Swiftly the empath dropped down on his knees and looked under the chair. He missed Trowa's hand making a grabbing motion for himas he did so.

Under the chair was a trembling creature of some sort with large bat like ears, dressed in what appeared to be a very clean pillow case and a wool hat.

Quatre's voice was soft and kind as he tried to draw the creature out from its hiding place.

"Hey there, little guy. Will you come out? I promise not to hurt you, we were just startled."

Huge golf-ball sized eyes opened up to look at the blond. There was fear and hope in those eyes as Quatre smiled and slowly stuck out his pale hand. The thing uncurled but didn't take hold of the offered appendage.

"Will others not hurt Dobby?"

Quatre had no idea what a 'dobby' was but nodded just the same. Suddenly the creature popped out from under the chair and jumped onto the seat.

"Dobby is bringing Dumbley-door's new friends a message! Is yous ready for Dobby's message?"

The group looked at each other as Wufei and Duo shrugged in unison. It was a bit freaky how much the long haired ex-pilot rubbed off on everyone. Duo nodded at the...thing.

"Sure dude, what's the message?"

It seemed the creature was just waiting for that as it suddenly started jumping around the room in excitement.

"Mister Harry Potter is coming back to Hogwarts. He is coming here early! I must take you to see Mister Harry Potter." It stopped and peered at them with curious eyes. "Is yous friends of Mister Harry Potter?"

Quatre bit his lip. "Sort of. Do you know him?"

Dobby started his excited jumping again but stayed in one place and nodded.

"Mister Harry Potter saved me from my old master. He was a bad wizard." The thing stopped and seemed to resist doing something before continuing. "Mister Harry Potter is kind and good and brave. He treat everyone his equal. Even Dobby the House-Elf!" The last bit was said with a finger pointing to his own chest.

There was a puzzled silence after that outburst but Dobby seemed to not understand or notice before he bounced toward the door.

"Dobby must show you the way to Dumbley-door's office! Follow Dobby please!"

* * *

Dumbledore arrived back in his office first, stepping out of the flames in a swirl of colors. Harry stepped out right behind him, tense and alert but still upright. That surprised the old man; he knew that before his kidnapping, Harry had had trouble with portkeys and Floo-ings. Now he was a natural.

The Headmaster sat behind his desk and watched as Harry's intense gaze swept over the room before focusing back on the Headmaster. That's when Albus realized that Harry Potter was wearing a mask of indifference.

It shook the old man down to his bones.

"Please have a seat Harry. I have some guests that will be here soon and I wish to leave you in their capable hands. I must go to France this evening before Term begins."

Harry nodded and sat. A bit of curiosity filled those dark eyes and some of the worry and pain clenching Albus' heart lessened. Somewhere in there, was Harry.

Throat cleared, Albus began. "You still remember nothing of your imprisonment?"

His voice was gentle but he saw a flash of worry and pain in those eyes. It was odd, almost as if a bit of the old Harry was fighting to be shown.

Harry shook his head. "Nothing yet. I know I've been acting...oddly but once I know anything I will come to you, sir."

The Headmaster looked intently in Harry's eyes and was surprised to find a mental block on not just the forgotten memories but all memories. The revelation stored away for later study, Dumbledore steepled his fingers together and looked at the young man before him.

"I'm sure that even with you're return to us this summer, your capture has made me see a flaw in how things have been going for the past sixteen years."

Harry cocked his head to the side. "I suppose it has shown you that Voldemort is much more powerful than we all believed him to become in the last few years."

The wizened wizard nodded. "That is true in and upon itself, but that was not what I was hinting at. I have failed you in many ways, Harry."

The boy avoided his gaze as silence filled the room. Albus continued.

"I have failed to pass on information you most of all should be privy to and that cost someone special their life. I will not be so arrogant to say I take full responsibility but a hefty amount does rest on my shoulders."

Harry had finally looked up. "Then I should be brave enough to say that the same goes for myself. Sirius thought I wasn't as reckless as my father. I wonder what he'd say now."

The question wasn't meant to be answered and Dumbledore wondered again just what Tom had done to Harry these last few weeks.

"I have failed to protect you as well, my boy." Albus said to the brooding teen, whose eyes flashed at the last statement. "That is why I have hired these five young men to keep you safe."

Harry had also felt the approach of five wizards and what felt like a house-elf. Two possibilities there; either Dobby or Winky. Dumbledore has a tendency to want to make Harry feel as comfortable as possible with things that were familiar.

Even with the knowledge that these guys were supposed to be his- bodyguards?- Harry was alert and ready for action when they knocked on the door.

Dumbledore called out and Dobby bound in, making Harry's left hand twitch for a gun that wasn't there. Still, a genuine smile graced the raven haired teen's lips at Dobby's reaction to him while another part of Harry curled up into a ball and cried at his obvious corruption. He would have shot the House Elf mere minutes ago, given the chance.

Dumbledore smiled at the scene before turning his thoughts to the ex-pilots. They seemed...puzzled at Harry's appearance. A wrinkled hand gestured to the Boy-Who-Lived as Harry calmed the excited house elf down and promised to visit later on with his Hermy and his Weasel.

Again, the stiffness returned to Harry's body as he looked over at the five boys.

Warning bells seemed to go off rather loudly in Harry's mind as he assessed the five before him. Everything was inconclusive before suddenly, Gryffindor Harry was back. The Harry that had put fake spiders in Ron's bed last April Fool's and changed the grade on Hermione's Transfiguration Essay, nearly giving the girl an aneurysm. Slytherin Harry and Gryffindor Harry had been in a constant battle for the last week, making his behavior appear different, almost as if he were in a sort of limbo. Slytherin Harry still rumbled just below the surface, never completely leaving as Gryffindor Harry relaxed and actual emotions crowded his mind.. The possibilities never left but increased as fear, worry and shame crowded his mind and the pain made Harry cover his eyes and groan. Something told him he needed to be Gryffindor Harry now.

Immediately Dumbledore's aura floated over beside him, along with one from the five others. Harry mind warned him to be cautious but that future alliances were going to be made here today.

"Harry? Can you answer me? What's wrong my boy?" That was Dumbledore's voice. Harry took a deep breath and nodded but held up a hand to show he needed a minute.

An image flashed in Harry's mind and he knew the pale boy who was also kneeling before him was going to touch his head before it happened. _All systems go _his mind reluctantly agreed but his magic was ready to defend him.

"He's just had some sort of emotional breakthrough. Like something has fixed itself, or slid into place. It's odd." That voice was calm and sure of its assessment. The emotions were evening out now as Harry calmed.

The stranger's voice continued. "You've probably kept him around familiar faces and places since he's returned, no?" An answer . "Yes, seeing new, strange faces makes the emotions shift and replace themselves. He's calming now."

Harry looked up into two teal colored eyes and blinked. "You're an empath."

It was not a question, Harry was very sure of himself for some reason, but the blond boy before him nodded anyways and grinned at him cheerfully.

"I'm Quatre Rabarba Winner."

Harry nodded and managed a small grin back. These emotions felt so powerful after that monotoned, cautious..mode he seemed to have been in before.

"I'm Harry. Harry Potter."

The blond's grin widened as he stuck out a hand and Harry shook it.

"I know. I'm guessing Mr. Dumbledore here has already told you why my comrades andyou are present?"

Harry nodded and looked at the four over Quatre's shoulder. Three of the four were looking as emotionless as Harry had felt but one, with a rather long cinnamon colored braid stepped forward a bit and gave the Gryffindor a mysterious grin.

"Feeling better, kid?"

Harry straightened up at the word 'kid' just to show that he wasn't and nodded.

"Better. Thanks for asking."

Dumbledore made a questioning noise.

"Any memories return to you?"

Harry stopped and thought about it. He knew something had happened but what that was, and if it was good or bad was yet to be determined. The ache in his head was lessening at an alarming rate as Harry cocked his head slightly to the side and sighed.

_Don't reveal anything to him!_

That thought came from no where, making Harry's eyes flash open.

"No, nothing, just a...waterfall of emotions. A bit overwhelming. Sorry."

Dumbledore smiled at the familiar behavior of Harry apologizing for the things he could not control and rose to his feet again. Quatre did the same, only this time taking the seat next to Harry with a bright smile on his face.

Dumbledore conjured up four more squishy chairs with his wand before returning back to his seat behind his desk. The braided boy flopped into his chair with a relaxed sigh and quickly flipped his legs over the right arm. Harry grinned and raised a questioning eyebrow when their eyes met. His expression quickly turned to shock as Harry found himself looking into a pair of purple eyes.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and six heads snapped back to him. Their reflexes were a bit scary, Albus thought to himself as everyone got comfortable. Even Harry.

"As I was explaining to Harry prior to your entrance, he will be staying with you all and will need to be followed as well. I will let you sort that out." Harry rolled his eyes as those twinkling blue ones focused back on him. "Harry seems to have a rather disconcerting habit of getting into trouble."

There were three nods from The Silent Ones, as Harry's mind had already dubbed them and two curious looks from the others. Gryffindor Harry scoffed.

"It's not like I _try_ to get into those kind of situations. They just happen."

Slytherin Harry chuckled darkly in the background whispering about Harry's need to prove himself having an impact on his entrance into 'those kind of situations'.

A clock chimed at the back of the office suddenly, making everyone jump impressively as it chimed a familiar song instead of the common 'cuckoo' the six teens were used to. The Headmaster gave a heartfelt sigh.

"I must be going now or risk being late." He turned to the Gryffindor. "Please answer any questions these young men have, I daresay they are a bit confused about meeting you."

Harry nodded, looking confused himself as the group began to leave the room. Dumbledore held him back for a moment.

"I know you resent having yourself...restricted like this but I must ask you to trust them. You may find they understand your situation more than anyone else. I shall be back before the Welcoming Feast tomorrow."

Harry nodded and let the feelings of anger and frustration fade away. He felt as though Dumbledore believed him to be...incompetent...even after everything Harry had done to stop Voldemort. For some reason, Harry knew that those five boys were here for more than just protecting Harry.

It was a bit unnerving to see all of them together, waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. The familiar feeling of being guarded, like some sacred jewel or special weapon, returned but was masked as even Gryffindor Harry could control what he felt now. Slytherin Harry chuckled again and Harry figured that he'd probably justgone mad.

An awkward silence stretched out as Harry tried to figure himself out and the others just starred at him. Trowa had always been the tallest of the group, Heero in second just by having a few more inches over Wufei, Duo and Quatre. Harry was taller than the last three but just an inch below Heero, not at all like the picture they had been shown.

The tension was building until Duo finally snapped.

"How old are you?"

Harry blinked, startled out of his thoughts before frowning in concentration.

"Seventeen. I turned seventeen just last month.That's the last day I remember before..."

The violet eyed boy nodded before sticking out a hand.

"The name's Duo Maxwell. I may run and hide, but I'll never tell a lie. That's me in a nutshell."

Harry shook the hand with an amused grin on his lips.

"You already know I'm Harry. Sorry I don't have any note worthy quirks about myself."

"Not everyone is as..open as Duo is at first sight." Quatre explained and Harry nodded.

Duo looked behind him before suddenly grabbing the Chinese's boy's arm and dragging him forward. The boy yelped and struggled for a bit before Duo released his arm.

"This is Wuffles. Or Wu-Wu, Wu-man, Wuffie and any other variations of Wufei you can think of. He may turn red and threaten to kill you with a sword, but we all know that on the inside, he loves the nicknames."

There was a look of extreme anger on Wufei's face and Harry was pretty sure he'd never call the other teen anything other than his given name if that look was the result. The sword in question was the one Harry had been eying on Wufei's back since he'd first laid eyes on the group.

"Maxwell, must you INSIST on calling me those God-awful names every time we meet someone new?"

Duo rolled his eyes at Wufei's anger before giving him a push toward Quatre and pulling Trowa up. Harry felt as if he were being assessed and subconsciously seemed to put off his best 'are you threatening me?' vibes. That one green eyes widened a bit as he allowed himself to be pulled up to face the British wizard. Harry noticed, while standing his ground, that Duo let go the other's arm much more quickly than he had Wufei's.

"And Mr. Tall and Silent here is actually called-"

To allthe ex-Gundam pilots surprise, Trowa cut their talkative friend off and extended his hand.

"Trowa Barton."

Slytherin Harry celebrated athis great ability to win people over as Harry took the hand with a nod. Things like that must be a rare occurrence since Duo had stopped talking to give the last member of the group a look.

He looked a lot like Harry; similar height and build although it was obvious the stranger had more muscle than Harry could ever get. They both had messy hair, black and dark brown respectively while Harry was pale, the other's Japanese ancestors gave him a healthy glow though not as much as Wufei. The last noticeable difference were the eyes. While this guy's were an amazing dark blue color, Harry's were startling and jade.

They stood and starred at each other in contemplative silence as the others looked on. Underneath all of the emotional wreck that Gryffindor Harry was in and the dark commanding thoughts of Slytherin Harry, the Boy-Who-Lived noticed that this guy was very attractive. All of his...bodyguards were but only the stranger before him really appealed to Harry.

Finally the guy took a step forward and without extending his hand just gave Harry a nod.

"Heero Yuy."

That deep voice made both Harrys perk up as a very slight, almost internal shiver spread across Harry's skin. Confusion followed, a part of his mind screaming for him to get a hold of himself and stay alert, the other part begging him to just _feel_ again. Instead, Harry pushed them both away and nodded back at the boy.

Something flashed across his mind and without another thought Harry took a step to the side as Duo, who was just about to latch on to Harry's arm to drag him back to their rooms fro a friendly bit of interrogation, ended up hopping at thin air and nearly falling on his face. Harry registered a surprised look in those violet eyes as he caught himself and turned to stare at Harry.

"Man, you are either really quick or really jumpy to have dodged that. I've been perfecting it for years!"

Harry felt a trendil of shame unfurl in his stomach. What was wrong with him? This wasn't Harry! Whoever he was now was different and scary and to Harry's horror, in total control. Looking down, Harry rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

"I'm sorry, I just- It's only been a week since I've been back and I, I know something happened, something horrible and it's changed me and I just _can't_ remember."

Harry stopped suddenly with Slytherin Harry screaming at him to shut up and stop being so weak. Duo and Quatre looked worried, which surprised Harry. He barely knew these guys and already he was getting the patented Harry's In Trouble: Worry Look™ that Mrs. Weasley was famous for. Wufei looked curious, much like Hermione who Harry had left at Number Twelve reading books on Memory Charms and Potions. He looked like he wanted to study Harry, like some scientist in a lab, which in turn terrifiedthe Gryffindorfor no particular reason.

Trowa 'Silent' Barton's one eyed gaze held a flash of sympathy that Harry had no clue in understanding but it was Heero's eyes who made him hold his shaky breath. His dark blue gaze was blank and Harry shielded away form their stare. He'd seen eyes like those enough times to last him a lifetime. They were the ones he looked at in his mirror every morning.

Quatre took pity on Harry and cautiously approached him before laying a comforting hand on the wizard's arm.

"Maybe you'd feel better if you go lie down until dinner. Emotional breakthroughs are tiring and anything we need to discuss can be dealt with later tonight." He shot Heero and Duo two very different looks. The one for Heero obviously said _be nice!_ while Duo's was more _don't be nosy!_

Harry knew he wasn't tired, nor did he need the rest but some time to regroup seemed beneficial to Harry's survival right now.

With a small smile and another nod Harry felt himself be lead to his new home for the next year, feeling, if possible, less like himself than ever before.

* * *

A/N: Virtual cookies and milkshakes to anyone who knows what's the matter with Harry's mind. Be warned, it's pretty complicated but there are enough hints in here for you to figure it out! I'm not sure when the next update will be. Totally busy for the next few WEEKS with the presentation part of my ISUs. School sucks right now.

Please Review: Remember, for every review not written a Heero/Relena fanfic is. Think about it.

S.Tangerine


	4. The Truth of A Memory

A/N: Eurgh, I've got trouble. I've got so many GW/HP x-over plots in my head, it hurts! It burns, it stings! I'm thinking the sequel to Pretty Little Secrets just may be a one-shot that sums up the future.

* * *

Chapter Four: The Truth of A Memory

Harry internally sighed as he followed his 'bodyguards' back to their rooms. Chang Wufei and Duo were obviously a couple. Duo couldn't seem to keep his hands off the Chinese youth (not thatChang was any better!), masking his actions as playful punches, ticklish pokes or 'pretend' sexual innuendos. And that was in between asking Harry a million questions about Hogwarts.

Harry let his mind wander to the other three teens as he answered Duo's excited enquiries. Again, it was obvious that Trowa Barton and Quatre had a relationship, although not as...blatantly excitable as the one shared by ChangWufei and Duo. Heero Yuy seemed to be alone. Unless he had someone back home. Pity, because he was, at least to Harry's mind, the most attractive of the bunch. He just had...something about him. Merlin, Harry was a softie for the strong, silent type! Mee-oow!

Nerves tingled and Harry quickly grabbed the wrist of the hand that suddenly flashed in front of his eyes. Hands tightened warningly as a yelp sounded from Duo's mouth. In shock, Harry let go quickly and took a step back from the long haired American.

Duo briskly rubbed his already bruised wrist while Harry fought to control the urge to hurt his new friend. Slytherin Harry growled in annoyance at being hidden away like a pair of old shoes before mentally sniffing at Duo. _He deserved it for startling me._

The world around him began dissolve as five pairs of eyes sought out his own and Harry let himself slip into a foreign memory.

**Flashback**

_He was barely out of breathe as he came upon his last enemy. The wizard was cowering against the opposite wall, sobbing in rage, grief and fear. Blood soaked both of them, as well as the room. The blood of a family. A murdered family._

_His wand had stayed tucked in its sheath for this, he barely used the thing now, and a gun dangled from his left hand. It only had one bullet left but that was all that was needed._

_"Please! Please, have mercy!"_

_A single, finely shaped black eyebrow quirked in a parody of amusement. _

_"Mercy? You want me to give you mercy? Even when I've been spared none?"_

_The words were spoken, barely above a whisper but they seemed to resonate in the stone room. The man's gasps were echoing as he shook from fear, looking at his executioner._

_"You monster! You've killed my family! My wife, my children! You'll be damned forever for this! You have no soul! Your parents would be ashamed of you."_

_At those last, faintly uttered words the world tilted on its axis, his vision and mind fuzzy. **This was wrong.** The gun slipped from horror slack hands to clatter to the floor. Chills of repulsion slithered up his spine. **Oh Merlin, what had he done?**_

_The wizard seemed to sense the change in his future killer and put a hand to his forehead in surprise. _

_"I was right. They are controlling you.I knewHarry Potter would not go dark!"_

_Nerves tingled in a now familiar way as the shadows moved to the right of the stationary duo. Voldemort and a man dressed what appeared to be a long white lab coat, his mechanical arm making hissing noises as it moved, came into the flickering torch light._

_"He still has a ways to go yet, my Lord, but he is taking longer to react to words like this. Soon, he will forget everything that held him to the light. Soon, he will fall into shadows."_

_He struggled mentally. **Who were they talking about? Who was Harry Potter? The name was familiar, so familiar...NO! YES! Nooo.**_

_His target looked angrily at the most feared Dark Lord to ever be, his hazel eyes flashing in rage._

_"You've taken over his mind! You despicable bastards! He is a child, this would destroy him!"_

_Voldemort laughed cruelly. "That is the point, Mr. Diggory. I'd like you to meet, for his first time out in public, my ultimate weapon."_

_Amos Diggory's eyes turned back to Harry who stood stiff and still, indecision written all over his face._

_"Harry! Harry, look at me!" The man pleaded, taking a step forward. Immediately Harry took a defensive step back, magic crackling around his lithe form. "Harry, this isn't you! Remember, Hogwarts? Remember Cedric! This man killed Cedric."_

_Confusion swirled in those emerald colored eyes. **Who was Cedric? What was a Hogwarts? Why was this man calling him Harry!**_

_The man in the coat smiled evilly. "He doesn't remember what you speak of, Diggory. He's not Harry Potter anymore."_

_**He was Harry Potter? How? Who was that? Why did this man know him?**_

_"My name is Harry?" his voice was shaky and small, that of a confused child's. Looks of anger filled the faces of Voldemort and that doctor, while hope bloomed on Amos'._

_Voldemort looked at his doctor, violent intent shining in his scarlet eyes. "What are the words that control him?"_

_The doctor took a step forward, his voice commanding._

_"Black Emerald, complete your mission or risk failure!"_

_His back stiffened. **Failure was not an option.** **Harry Potter didn't exist,** the mission must be completed. That voice, screaming for him to stop, was ignored as he retrieved his gun without hesitation._

_Even as tears blurred his eyesight, he knew he wouldn't miss his target, knew he wouldn't stop. Amos Diggory screamed in fright, begging Harry to fight it._

_As a tear slipped down Harry's cheek, he whispered the words "I'm so sorry." before pulling the trigger. _

_**Flashback**_

"He's waking up!"

Emerald eyes snapped open at Duo's jubilant cry. It took all of his self-restraint to hold back his magic at the sight of five heads crowded around his upper body.

In a flash, Harry shot up, nearly smacking foreheads with Heero who had almost refused to move away from him. Five pairs of eyes stared at him, two confused, one highly suspicious, one blank and the last, teh closest,burning with some foreign emotion.

Duo was the first to crack a forced grin, holding up his now slightly swollen wrist.

"Man, if you can do that to everyone who scares you, we're going to be out of a job pretty soon."

Wufei scowled and Harry gasped, before gently pulling the injured wrist closer.

"I didn't...I don't...how could I do that?"

Harry could tell the five were just as shocked as he was by the news.

"You mean, you couldn't break Duo's wrist before your...capture?" Quatre asked in his gentle way, trying to be sympathetic. Duo blinked and helped Harry to his feet, a wide grin on his face.

"Ok, this is majorly weird guys be-cuz the only other person I know that could do this is Heero." Harry gave the messy haired youth a look. Heero? Yeah, he did seem the type, didn't he? The type to break you wrist and then feel ashamed he didn't break the rest of the bones in your arm as well.

Swallowing as memories of pain-filled cries and gun powder filled his mind, Harry bit his lip before apologizing. Duo just waved it off, in his laid back manner, slightly less excitable than before.

"No sweat, man. You look like someone just ran over your dog, so your obviously sorry and I did scare ya. Shows how much I learned from Heero's 'Touch and Die' days, huh?"

Harry nodded hesitantly, thinking. It was probably best he didn't answer the long-haired teen with a _"Good thing I didn't have a gun or you'd be dead." _Trowa was alreadylooking as suspicious as Harry guessed Trowa let himself look and Wufei still had a slight scowl on.

Thy were still in the same corridor as before, the portraits lining the walls chattering excitedly as Harry dusted himself off. Quatre took out his wand and experimentally pointed it at himself.

"Scourgify."

Dust and lint popped off of the blond's immaculate wear and he grinned in happiness. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"You know magic?"

The other four calmly repeated Quatre's cleaning, Duo nearly bouncing around in glee, flipping his wands about like a gun, pointing it at the portraits and using a thick Texas accent to 'hold 'em up'.

"Just barely. We skimmed through the books this morning awaiting your arrival."

Amos Diggory's frightened face flashed through Harry's mind as an idea came to him. He just needed a reason to go to the library and here it was. Slytherin Harry grudgingly patted Gryffindor Harry's head for such a good idea, before giving him a mental punch to the arm. No need to get cocky.

Hmm, Chang Wufei and Heero Yuy looked like two guys who would take offense, even innocently given offense, if their abilities were questioned. Trowa Barton seemed like the type as well, but for some reason, Harry knew he suspected something about the Boy-Who-lived, not even _Harry_ knew about himself yet.

Slytherin Harry was back again, urging him on and whispering about secrecy. Gryffindor Harry reluctantly agreed with both, thinking about the need of a plan and to know his enemies...friends.

"I'm just wondering how you can hope to protect me from magical ...enemies without knowing magic yourself?"

True to his assessment of them, Chang Wufei and Heero Yuy stiffened in anger and even Trowa Barton stood a little straighter. Duo's eyes widened as he looked from the face of innocence Harry wore to the steadily flushing faces of his two most short-tempered friends.

Harry continued as his own hackles began to rise. "It's just that you've got five years to learn by Monday. How can you expect to do that?"

Harry heard Quatre's mumble of 'good save' as he grinned brightly at the only trained wizard in their presence.

"The Headmaster told us that we will take a potion that will allow us to remember anything we learn in twenty four hours. We have four days to learn five years of work starting tonight."

Harry nodded and made a showof thinking about something. They would need the library for this and at least someone who has taken their courses. Someone like him.

"How about we skip the nap. I'm feeling better already and I need to finish some summer homework before I completely forget about it. I highly doubt being captured by Voldemort will get me out of detention from Snape. Probably thinks I planned it just to get out of doing my homework."

"Who's Snape? Sounds like an infectious disease." Commented Duo as the group turned around and followed Harry toward the library. Harry nearly growled at Duo's mention of his most hated professor.

"The resident Potions Master and official snarky bastard of Hogwarts. He teaches Potions, obviously, and has an utter loathing of that fact that I breath. Actually took away House points once, because he said I breathed at the wrong interval and messed up the atmosphere of his classroom."

"Well, what did you do to warrant such attention? The school system wouldn't be so unfair as to allow this type of treatment o continue if you hadn't done something to deserve it." Wufei reasoned and Harry gave him a rather impressive glare. Almost Heero-like in intensity. Hmm.

"I'll have you know, that...man has hated me since before I even knew him and that my only offense to him was actually being born." A calming breath made Harry take a paused before explaining. "He hated my father, my godfather and to some extent my mother. He is always getting his sick kicks out of insulting one, two or all three of them. He's pathetic."

Duo let out a low whistle of awe. "Man, there's one guy who needs a Quat hug."

Even Slytherin Harry, who had been babbling on about not giving out too much about himself, stopped at that remark.

"A hug?" Harry repeated, not sure whether to be frightened of Duo's logic or laugh like a loon. "He's not exactly the type to...promote affection. Of any kind. If you had to hug him, you won't walk out of his presence with your arms, ever again."

Duo just gave another grin before swinging his arms over the shoulders of Chang Wufei and Heero Yuy, the latter stiffening up at the touch, his left hand twitching. _For a gun?_ Harry wondered before shaking his head and continuing.

It was odd. Harry could think about Quatre and Duo without the need or formality of their last names while Chang Wufei, Heero Yuy and Trowa Barton seemed to command Harry's respect, even in his mind. Gryffindor Harry called them brave hero types, Slytherin Harry called them sly, cunning allies. Eugh. Somehow, Gryffindor Harry and Slytherin Harry needed to mix together, or they were going to kill each other. Or drive the other insane.

Thatbang ofa gungoing offsounded in Harry's mind and he shivered. They may need to come together, but Slytherin Harry would never be in total control again. Ever.

"Well, neither are these two, or Mister Silent over there, but we've gotten them back to semi-normal, if there is such a thing." Duo gave a pondering pose as Heero slithered out from under the lanky American's arm, nearly making him fall.

"Let us go to the library already. The more we study now, the less we need to rely on this...potion, to work for us."

Ohhh, Slytherin Harry was way impressed! Gryffindor Harry too! Looks like he would have to be really sly to get past this one. The thrill of a challenge was intoxicating as Harry gave Heero an approving look and led the way again.

"Just how big, exactly, is this library?" asked Chang Wufei, looking, for lack of a better word, grumpy. "For a school with a limited number of students it shouldn't be-"

The Chinese youth stopped as he looked at the double doors guarding the entrance. The heavy oak doors were engraved with the Hogwarts Crest, dragons, elves, phoenixes unicorns and many other mythical creatures danced along the outside, their jeweled eyes twinkling. Up close every individual, glossy hair on the unicorn's coat could be counted, every scale on the green-hided dragon could be felt and the flames surrounding a flock of phoenixes appeared to move and sizzle. What was amazing was that these doors had to be at least three times the hight of Trowa.

Harry grinned, Slytherin Harry smirking out of sight. "Hogwarts has the largest magical and muggle library combined in all of Europe. Only the ones in the States and Australia can compare."

Duo gave his new wizarding friend a disbelieving look. "Just how do you plan to open those? We'd need to strap Heero to a log and-"

Harry strode forward and the doors opened of their own free will.

Duo blinked before grinning. Again. "Or that could work!"

Chang Wufei almost misted from sight at the split-level library filled with books of every kind. Duo cupped his hands over his mouth, giving Harry a saucy wink before yelling "Echooooo!" and listening to the reply. Something thudded in the distance and an echoy "Maxwell!" sounded back as well, causing Quatre to stifle his snickers with a dainty hand.

Trowa Barton stayed close to his blond lover, taking happiness from his obvious amusement at Duo's antics while Heero Yuy had already walked over to a desk, the one in which he had the best view of the whole library andput back to the wall, and had begun looking for his books. Each movement seemed to be timed perfectly, getting the maximum amount of output from the minimum amount of input from his actions.

Harry let himself stare off in thought, Slytherin Harry slowly sneaking his way out of his padlocked room, sense on high alert. Gryffindor Harry wasn't very far behind, keeping a close eye on the darker side of himself. It wouldn't do to have another incident.

Harry's thoughts were on his five guards. Duo Maxwell was obviously the joker of the lot, that and very sneaky, possessing a raw kind of fighting power you only found on the toughest of streets. He had many masks but his most frequent and strongest was that of the joker. Still, that laughter hid the braided teen's physical and mental power and Harry's mind had already come up with many future consequences of starting a fight with Duo Maxwell.

Chang Wufei was Duo's lover, that was obvious to anyone who could see it. Most likely either a Ravenclaw or a Slytherin would know. Apparently, by his enthusiasm at the library, he was a closet scholar as well as a trained fighter. That sword may not be very subtle but it did it's jobof intimidation beautifully. He also had a short temper and was protective of his family. That told much about him, whether he knew it or not. Harry guessed he'd either lost his family to tragedy or they'd disowned him, either one giving him a fierce need to protect those he considers his. _A weakness,_ whispered Slytherin Harry in glee.

Quatre Winner was the product of a very rich family. If his clothes and posture didn't tell you that, his personality did. Still looks can be deceiving, as First Year had taught Harry, and Quatre may look like a pushover on the outside but inside was pure steel. He was the head of the team, even Heero seemed to unknowingly answer to the blond commander. An empath too. Now that was strange. A soldier to the end but he felt emotions, more so than everyone else.

Trowa Barton was almost like a friendly rival. Still, this guy had threat written all over him once you actually noticed he was in the room. That and he walked like he floated and looked like a piece of carved marble in the emotions department. Still, all that talent had to be earned somewhere. Normal soldiers weren't that quiet and compared to this fighter, Chang Wufei and Quatre sounded like a herd of elephants trying to quietly do the macarena as they walked. His most obvious weakness was the little blond he shadowed.

Heero Yuy was one thing. A walking contradiction. He screamed the essence of a trained killer and yet he was a bodyguard. And to someone Harry knew most still considered a child, even though that was far from the truth. Slytherin Harry hissed in annoyance. _Always considered the child...well, not anymore... _

Harry blinked and began to glance over the shelves as the others wandered off to get books of their own, two always keeping Harry in view. Heero seemed to shift in his seat to keep him in his vision. A tingle went up Harry's spine as a double flash of two different hands loosely holding a gun whispered across his mind. Heero Yuy was like looking in a mirror, in more ways than one. Not even Slytherin Harry would bet on coming out the victor in a duel with that guy.

Harry saw Trowa Bartonactually** leave** Quatre's side to follow him down the aisle that held copies of newspapers, magazines and such while ChangWufei was at the very end of the aisle, right where Harry wanted to be. It was slightly irritating how Trowa Bartonnever tried to hide his shadowing of Harry, just walked silently, as if he had a right to be there. Which, technically he did, but Harry was beginning to feel like he had body slaves of some sort. Ones with guns and wands and many ways to hurt people.

Trowa Bartonwas just a shelf section behind Harry as the messy haired wizard fingered through the index card looking for the right date. Beside him, scowling at the paper, ChangWufei leaned against the wall. Harry wondered what he was reading to make him pull such an unattractive face until he caught sight of the front page. Slytherin Harry, who had been oddly silent until now, sneered.

Before his imprisoned , Harry had taken to lining Hedwig's bird cage with that particular newspaper. Apparently Wufei found The Daily Prophet just was sickening as Harry did.

"Don't you have a potions essay to complete?" Came the short question from ChangWufei and Harry felt an eyebrow raise and Trowa Bartonshift behind him. He didn't make a sound but the air moved, almost whispered off of him when he move.

Keeping a stern eye on the boy at his back, Harry turned his attention back to the irritated youth beside him. He was obviously still miffed that Harry had inadvertently hurt his lover. Wow, talk about a grudge, Ronald Weasley eat your heart out.

"That I do, but I can probably finish it using my textbooks and making notes is not an action that'sfrowned upon here."

Chang didn't say anything but anger still surrounded his form as he almost dismissed Harry's answer.

The Boy-Who-Lived sighed gustily before plucking out the correct card and snapping the case shut.

"Since you and your friends are here, **guarding** me, I'd figure you know that I was kidnapped about three months ago, no?" Seeing he had caught the two boys' attention, Harry decided to let Slytherin Harry influence this conversation. He could be snooty too, apparently.

Not waiting for a verbal reply, Harry continued, never looking up at his companions but aware of them all the same.

"I assume, no matter how ignorant that is, that you also understand I have no memory of that time and that perhaps the best way for me to get back into the swing of things is to know what has happened in my absence."

"Not all of those papers are from a magical point of view." Trowa Barton's calm voice pointed out quietly. Harry shrugged.

"Well, I am a half-blood and Voldemort is trying to destroy all those who are not of pureblood descent or blood-traitors." Picking up the papers, Harry turned to Chang, letting Gryffindor Harry poke through more. "I am truly sorry for hurting Duo. If you wish to be cross with me then be cross with me, but at least do it about something I can understand."

Harry had strode gracefully up the aisle about half of the way before Trowa Barton and Chang Wufei decided to try and catch up with him.

At their table, Heero Yuy appeared to be already halfway through the standard texts of their Third Year, a feat Hermione would be impressed by, while Quatre sparred them a sunny smile before becoming further engrossed in a book about wizarding etiquette. Duo was busy making things fly across the table. The violet-eyed boy raised an eyebrow at the pile of newspapers but said nothing as he smiled at Chang.

Harry had taken the next best seat, the one to the left of Heero, Duo on the studying teen's right side while Wufei settled down across from his partner, Trowa and Quatre taking the last two seats next to each other.

There was an uncomfortable silence that filled the whole library for nearly ten minutes, as Harry read the first paper carefully. It was the day after his capture and other than the ads section, that was really all it was about. One idiot even had the gall to say that Harry had blown the house up himself, killing his aunt and cousin before taking off to parts unknown with Sirius Black. Slytherin Harry was unresponsive at his godfather's name but Gryffindor Harry felt a slice of grief at the name, one that seemed to startle Quatre.

The kind hearted blond had learned from Duo's experience and simply spoke to Harry.

"Are you alright?"

Harry nodded and took a deep breath as Slytherin Harry scoffed the words _'Pathetic, Potter.'_ Harry snorted in disgust at Slytherin Harry. It was like he'd eaten a part of Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape with a little dash of Voldemort to make up his scathing, secretpersonality. New meaning to the words, snakes and snails and puppy dog tails, that's for sure.

It seemed that was what Wufei was waiting for. Hmm, he'd been changed now as well. No more a need for the last name.

"What exactly is a pureblood, a half-blood and a blood-traitor?"

The question didn't surprise Harry at all, Wufei was pretty curious. A regular Nancy Drew, it seemed. Even Heero Yuy stopped to listen to this.

"It is a the basic way people's bloodlines are categorized. It's very much like how someone who explain the amount of a certain race they have in their blood. A pureblood is obviously someone with a family lineage that is purely magical. No muggles, half-bloods or muggle-borns. The most fanatical are in danger of in-breeding and creating squibs."

Harry held up a hand at Duo's opening mouth.

"A squib is a pureblood who has no magical powers. It happens a lot more than people would like the admit. Hogwarts' caretaker is a squib. A half-blood is someone who has one parent who is a pureblood and another who is either a half-blood, a muggle-born or a muggle. I am a half-blood because my father's family were purebloods while my mother was a muggle-born witch."

"Shewas like us then?" Duo questioned but Harry shrugged.

"It depends. One of my best friends told me there are many muggle-borns who simply do not know about the magic in their family. The Wizarding World is a secret place and sometimes families have to keep themselves secret."

"Or in some cases they do not know who their real family may be." Quatre pointed out softly and Harry nodded.

"Or that." Because ultimately, Harry would have figured himself a muggle-born if not for Hagrid's information on his eleventh birthday.

The room was again engulfed in silence as Harry read his papers, his horror growing. Nearly daily attacks on muggles and wizards and witches alike fought against Harry's capture for the front page. Britain wasn't the only place hit. Parts of France, Italy, Spain and much more of the magical European community had been hit by what the paper called a 'muggle, mechanical monstrosity'. A shadowy picture of something outlined by a torched city, or the setting sun were the only pictures to accompany those stories.

A flash and a tingle later and Harry was looking at the library doors before they had even begun to open. No one had time to question Harry's timing as Draco Malfoy suddenly strutted in, carrying five steaming vials in a test tube tray and wearing a self-important smirk on his pointy face. His eyes held an unholy amount of amusement as he spied Harry among the other five.

Since escaping his father's evil, evil ways in late April, Draco Malfoy had, for lack of a better phrase, 'come out' and has been ridiculously happy with one Blaise Zabini. Since then, the blond menace has propositioned Harry more times than the green-eyed teen cared to remember.

Ignoring the blond's presence seemed like a good idea until Heero subtly leaned closer to Harry, giving him a whiff of his enticing scent as he whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

"A threat?"

Harry gripped the edges of his page in annoyance and confusion.

"Only to my sanity." '_And virginal status.'_ mocked Slytherin Harry in scorn.

Draco kept his haughty jaunt up as he set the vials, of what Harry now recognized as Wit-Sharpening Potion, down on the table. His smug smile was one of teasing familiarity that set Slytherin Harry on edge.

"Already starting your harem, Harry? I thought you said you didn't swing that way."

Slytherin Harry fought to be released, to teach this kid some lessons in respecting those who are more powerful them him, but Harry refused. He let that part of him simmer under a sheer clock in his mind, always there but never really seen unless one looked hard enough.

"Piss off, Malfoy. I never said I didn't swing that way, I said I didn't swing that way with you."

Malfoy smirked, again grading on Harry's nerves.

"Tut, tut. Now that isn't very nice. What would your Gryffindor friends say about your manners, Harry?"

One black eyebrow was raised in cool contemplation.

"The same thing they'd say for your disrespect for my person and opinion. Kindly take your propositions and shove 'em."

Malfoy unfortunately opened his mouth, probably to continue to annoy Harry when Duo, wonderful, glorious Duo Maxwell decided to butt in.

"I've gotta question for you, Billy Idol. Just who in the hell does your roots?"

The bit of Harry's mind, the snarky, sarcastic, almost evilly cruel part, cackled in amusement at the looks on the faces of everyone at the table. Duo pulled off innocence better than Quatre, who was trying unsuccessfully to hide his laughter. Trowa Barton's one bright green eye was actually a bit wider than usual and the corners of Wufei's mouth twitched.

Even Heero Yuy, with his unreadable eyes and stoic face gave off an air of amusement.

"Billy..Idol?" Malfoy fumbled with the name, his superior air gone. "What does Billy Idol have to do with my roots?"

Duo raised an eyebrow. "You have never been compared to him? Huh." A thoughtful look crossed his face before Duo told the blond Slytherin who exactly Billy Idol is. "He's this old-ish English hard rock musician who has this bleached blond hair that look-"

Malfoy cut him off with what could only be called a manly screech.

"Bleach! I do not bleach."

Grabbing a lock of pure white blond hair, Draco Malfoy flicked it back over his forehead with a flourish. "I'll have you know, all of you, that this is one hundred percent natural!"

Duo made a disbelieving noise while Harry took it upon himself to roll his eyes at the boy's outcry.

With an irritated scoff, Malfoy pushed away from the table he had been causally leaning onand motioned jerkily toward the vials of potion.

"Just take your damn potions, you ill-deserving, bumbling bunch of Neanderthals. I'd rather not spend anymore time with you dunderheads. It's probably catching-"

Malfoy had stalked away without finishing his furious rant while Duo snickered and grabbed a vial.

"Bottoms up, my friends."

Heero Yuy and Trowa Barton were far more hesitant in simply gulping down the potion. Harry tilted his heada bitto the right.

"It's the correct potion. The armadillo bile gives it a bitter taste and a flowery scent."

Almost as one both boys gingerly sniffed the concoction before downing it without so much as a grimace. Wufei had screwed up his face, Duo had crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue while Quatre a turned a bit green at the taste.

Duo coughed slightly and looked at Harry, curious. "Armadillo bile? All out of eye of newt, frog's spawn and vulture nut?"

There were two rather loud cries of "Duo!" at this remark while Harry actually wondered about the validity of the statement.

"I've been making potions since I was eleven and we've never had to use the dangly bits of anything once alive so far."

Duo's expression was one of relief. "Phew! That's good. It would have scarred me for life to know I was drinking a fellow male's dangly bits."

Quatre still had a green tinge in his pale cheeks. "I think you've alreadyscarred me for life, Duo."

"What'd I say?"

Harry tuned out their friendly banter at Slytherin Harry's nudge to pay attention to his personalmission. Silence came again at Heero's cut order to get back to work and this time it was peaceful.

It was the story in the paper of July the 13th that nearly stopped Harry's heart. The whole Diggory family had gone missing that night. Mr. and Mrs. Diggory, along with their three daughters, Anna and Amy, twins who were barely six and Ellie, who was ten.

It was shockingly easy to turn the page and pretend like nothing was wrong, to read the rest of the paper and calmly pick up the next. Even reading about finding the bodies of the Diggory family, all killed by one gunshot wound to the head, was just too easy to be right.

Harry had hoped against hope that the now unclear and fuzzy flash was simply another one of Voldemort's ways of torturing him. This, however confirmed it.

Something was wrong with Harry. Something bad, and until he knew what it was, **no one** could know.

* * *

A/N: Gah! I'm unsure how I feel about the last part of this chapter. Harry isn't going to be an innocent little kid in here anymore but you have to understand the power of conditioning, he's been corrupted, in a way. And no it's not MPD, but it was a very interesting idea...**Snicker** And a flamingly gay Draco is a bit odd, I know. I just always picture him down in his dorm room, painting his toe nails a silvery color while wearing a 'Save A Broom, Ride A Quidditch Play' T-shirt.

Now, I have a plea for help. I've been trying to edit 'Pretty little Secrets' and I've got to chapter ten ready but I really need some help if I'm gonna finish this in the 21st century. Anyone interested in helping? Since I'm a fourth of the way done, someone could take the even chapters and I'll do that odd, sort of thing.

Thanks for reading.

Review: Remember, for every review not written, Harry dumps his boyfriend for Ginny.

S. Tangerine


	5. A Not So Secret Conversation

A/N: Um, yeah. Reasons for no update-y in my world-y is um, real life. It's like tooth decay for fanfics! -brandishes tooth brush at shadows- Be gone evil, evil life! Grr.

-grins- Lateness aside, I'm updating on my birthday so that has to give me brownie points in the 'Universal Guide to Readers Not Killing The Late Updating Authors' Handbook. -checks handbook- Yup, I am forgiven!

Right?

GWHPGWHPGWHP

Chapter Five: A Not So Secret Conversation

"Heero, you may be super human but us mortals need food every few hours to run smoothly!" Duo Maxwell's voice echoed in the spacious library in what Slytherin Harry would call a screechy whine. Gryffindor Harry, of course, would argue the point quite viciously and claim that his braided bodyguard was simply loud and frustrated. Slytherin Harry sniffed disdainfully as the raven-haired wizard took pity on Duo and put down his paper with a small smile on his face.

"It is around the time we have supper during the school year. Perhaps we could get something quick to eat in the kitchens?"

Duo shot Harry a grin as the wizard rubbed his eyes tiredly. He had a horrible headache, what with suddenly dealing with this new impulse to maim everything that twitched in his line of sight. And Slytherin Harry was one insistent little bugger who needed constant supervision.

"Are you alright?"

Quatre's soft spoken question nearly made Harry sock him, his shoulders tensing quickly as his jade eyes flashed over to look at the blond. He seemed to be rubbing the spot just above his heart rather firmly.

Harry raised an eyebrow and nodded at the hand.

"Shouldn't that be my question? If you don't mind me asking, but do you have a heart condition of some kind? You're going to rub a hole in your shirt."

The blond bodyguard's hand stopped as he blushed slightly and looked at the others quickly.

"No, I'm in perfect health." His sudden grin was blinding. "Thank you for asking."

Harry nodded and let the lie slide as everyone rose from the table to leave. Some house elves would be around later to pick up the scattered books.

Already the five young men had breezed through to Fifth Year material in a short afternoon session. _The potions helped,_ Slytherin Harry commented, as well as the Boy-Who-Lived's own expertise, something Harry had certainly never had before his capture, helped them in the practical parts of their crash course learning.

_They're uncommonly fast learners,_ Slytherin Harry pointed out with a savage smirk. _Very much like us, don't you think? _

**There is no us! **Harry thought back to himself before taking a subtle calming breath. It wouldn't do him any good to get worked up over a voice in his head. Merlin, that only made him sound barking mad if anything. He's gotten enough bad press over the years without Rita Skeeter writing that Harry Potter talks to the voices in his head. He's end up in St Mungo's right next to Umbridge and Lockhart.

Duo's voice woke him from his rather depressing thoughts.

"You know, you're awfully quiet for teenager. Trowa and Heero are the only ones I've ever met as quiet as you."

Harry bit his lip and avoided looking anyone in the eye.

"Sorry. I'm just not myself today. Prolly worried about tomorrow."

Slytherin Harry clapped at his ability to act innocently upset, not allowing his presence to disappear completely for a moment.

"Understandable." commented Trowa, his voice void of emotion. He was a very threatening figure to Harry's complex mind, making Slytherin Harry not only stand up and notice him but give the silent guy a bit of grudging respect. Just a bit though.

"What are our plans after we've eaten?" Wufei asked, his tone still a bit cool and formal in Harry's presence. Harry had figured this one the type to hold grudges a long time. Like years. He had the type of vibe that said he would be very happy to hold something against you for generations, much like the Weasleys and the Malfoys.

"I'm going to sleep." Harry said quietly, rubbing his forehead again. "I have a wicked headache right now."

Heero turned his ultramarine gaze on his charge, his face handsome although still blank.

"We need to inspect the castle and the perimeter before tomorrow."

Harry met his look with his own, letting his dark stare show a bit of faked weakness before sighing.

"A tour it is then."

Duo kicked Heero's leg slightly as they continued walking.

"We can check the place out early tomorrow morning, Heero. If Harry's tired, he can sleep."

The Japanese teen gave Duo a glare.

"Our mission is to protect the subject to the best of our abilities."

Duo didn't falter at the look thrown his way, but his smile became a lot more dark.

"Maybe. It's still considered a failure if the subject drops down dead from exhaustion while we're on duty, ya know."

Both Heero and Harry twitched at the word 'failure' and distant whispers skimmed over Harry's memory as Heero stared ahead for a moment before nodding sharply.

"Agreed. Tomorrow begins at 0600 hours. Everyone be ready by 0700."

There was some kind of affirmation between the group and Harry nodded before taking the lead and showing everyone the way to the kitchens.

He looked back at the five behind him. They were conversing in low tones, or at least trying to. Was it odd that he could hear every word as if they were talking in his ear?

"Man, I can't believe we thought he was just a kid!" Duo said, his violet eyes darting to Harry's form a few yards in front of them. "He's taller than me _and_ Quat."

"Dumbledore had warned us that he'd changed." Quatre pointed out, sounding a bit sheepish. "We only assumed he would be younger than ourselves."

"There is an apt saying about those who assume..." Trowa trailed off as Wufei snorted.

"Yes, and it ends up with the five of us looking like asses." There was the sound of a palm smacking fabric, and Harry resisted the urge to turn around and stun the five of them at Wufei's outraged shout.

"Duo Maxwell! What was that?"

Brows raised in amusement, Harry did stop and slowly turned around to see the Chinese teen with one sun-kissed hand slapped over his right buttock, his cheeks red as he glared at his lover. Duo was conveniently on the other side of Heero at the moment, pretending to be completely besotted with Wufei as he battled his long sooty eyelashes.

"You know what the word 'ass' does to me Fei. I couldn't help it."

Only Trowa and Heero seemed to notice Harry's interest in the discussion as Quatre decided it was his job to play the unofficial peace maker.

"Wufei please calm down. You know how Duo can get. And Duo please stop antagonizing Wufei. He owns a sword."

Duo smiled cheekily at the blond and Wufei, who Harry was one hundred and ten percent sure, was his boyfriend. "Aw, Kat. Fei would never hurt me! Would ya, Fei?"

Chang narrowed his eyes in slight anger, looking a bit like a child who'd not gotten his way. Everyone could hear the mumbled response of "Don't be so sure about that."

"Are you two finished having your lover's quarrel?" Harry asked, his face curious as he cocked his head to the side and put one hand on his hip. "Because I am rather hungry, you know. If you could please, just kiss and make up, we'd be on our way."

Gryffindor Harry gapped at the tone of voice in which the statement was said. If any Hogwarts student had been blindly roaming the hallways, they would have bet their life on the fact that it was Draco Malfoy, frostily witty Malfoy not flamingly gay Malfoy, telling the two bodyguard that he knew they were lovers instead of sweet, courageous Harry Potter.

Trowa and Heero snuck each other a look they thought Harry would miss. You'd think, after realizing the wizard could figure out Duo's and Wufei's relationship, he could catch a glance.

_The wonders of being underestimated._ Slytherin Harry pointed out with a smirk.

Duo scratched the back of his head, making that long braid twitch like a cat's tail as he grinned at Harry.

"We weren't that subtle were we?" His tone was rueful.

Harry shrugged. "I'm not sure. Maybe it's just me but I did notice you couldn't seem to keep your hands off of each other."

Wufei was swiftly turning red at Harry's nonchalant re-accounting of his observations.

"Let's not forget the frigid attitude _he_ gave off," That messy head tilted in Wufei's direction. "particularly at myself, after I accidentally hurt Duo." The green eyed wizard's face was the perfect mix of guilt, shame and sorrow as he turned his expressive eyes towards Duo. "I am truly sorry about that."

The violet-eyed bodyguard waved a dismissive hand in Harry's direction. "No sweat, man. It's all water behind that unlocked door."

Quatre rubbed his ear and gave his friend a curious look.

"Don't you mean water under the bridge?"

Duo thought about it for a split second before shaking his head.

"Nope. Someone once told me that the past is simply a door you forgot to lock. Plus, I'm not really a fan of bridges. Shifty little things." At the uncomprehending expressions, Duo rolled his eyes. "Well, it makes sense to me. Ouch! "

Heero, it seemed, had taken to pulling on Duo's long braid when the American got chatty. Slytherin Harry wondered if that action was more than it appeared, a code or signal for something. Gryffindor Harry told him he was a paranoid nut case with blood ties to Mad Eye Moody.

Wufei's blush had not completely resided as they set off up the corridor, this time as a group of six. Harry nodded or waved at some of the paintings who had taken a liking to him. He'd have to find the time to visit the Fat Lady during the year or risk her wraith. She had quite the opera voice.

_My, my you're getting back into your routine quiet nicely, aren't you._ Slytherin Harry quipped, his voice mocking. _Have you forgotten what you are now?_

Harry kept his face blank as he battled with himself, not noticing Quatre's hand briskly rubbing his chest and glancing at their silent guide. **I'm Harry. I'm not this Black Emerald person! I'm not a killer. How can I be both of them, right now?**

_Still trying to fit a square piece into a round opening? Have you forgotten so quickly that a killer is what you were meant to be? _

The words of the prophecy drifted up into Harry's mind. Kill or be killed; that was his destiny. He was right.

**But like this?** Gryffindor Harry swallowed at the thought. **This thing, that's trying to control you, its not human. It's cold and calculating and evil. It's like a machine. If you let it take control again, could you stop it?**

Harry didn't know. If that memory was anything to go by, one command and Harry would become a lethal killing machine, unable-unwilling?- to stop himself. With just. One. Command.

The tingling nerves let him know he was about to pass the entrance to the kitchen and without a conscious thought, Harry's body stopped. This was insane. He'd barely known the kitchens were even there for three years, never mind the fact that he'd visited them less than ten times in those three years.

Banishing the thoughts until he had a quiet place to stop and think about things, Harry turned towards the picture.

"You've already met Dobby." he said, his voice emotionless, making even Heero's eyebrows dip in confusion. "Just be prepared for even more creatures like him. And be exact with what you'd like to eat." A ghost of a smile crept up on that beautiful face. "Tell them you'd like a salad and the House Elves will give you a garden."

Then, without waiting for a response, Harry swiftly tickled the pear and walking into the opening portrait hole.

GWHPGWHPGWHP

"Get out, you bad bad wizards!" Even Trowa stumbled as they were pushed out of the kitchens by the group of irate House-Elves. Bits and pieces, and in some cases, smears of food decorated the six Seventh Years as they stood in the corridor and watched the portrait slam shut again. Harry was calmly picking what appeared to be the remains of a whole can of green peas out of his inky hair as Trowa began picking the spaghetti noodles out of Quatre's now strawberry blond locks, ignoring the ketchup stains on his light pair of jeans.

Wufei's tight ponytail was ruined as he pulled the elastic out, pulling clumps of mashed potatoes and gravy out with it. Only Duo's hair seemed to be untouched, the rest of him adorned with what appeared to be in insides of a peanut butter and jam sandwich.

Heero finished brushing the white rice off his shoulders and dark green tank top, his dark blue jeans splotchy the remains of coffee stains on them.

Harry's eyebrows frowned as his had traveled to the back of his head and neck. The hair there felt heavier, and sticky, he realized, pulling the hand back and taking a tiny lick at the stuck on his hand.

"Who in the bloody hell was throwing caramel around in there?"

Duo turned to Harry, a few of his jam covered fingers lodged in his mouth. Pulling them out with a wet popping noise, the quirky boy blinked at him.

"Um, I think it was that one House-Elf that was having all the fun in there." Harry was gifted with a quick grin. "The demented one that really likes you."

Harry's shoulders slumped. "Dobby it is." With a grimace, the green-eyed wizard wiped his hand in his dirty jeans. He'd obviously gotten hit with the caramel when he'd dodged that flying glass. The lesser of two evils but still a big mess.

"I need a shower before this stuff starts to harden." Heero looked at the sticky mess that was Harry's hair and nodded.

"Affirmative."

Quatre and Wufei were in the same boat as Harry as the group left the entrance to the kitchens, leaving a slight trail of food stains on the walls and floor. Duo was still licking his hands clean, something Wufei was straining to keep from watching.

Quatre suddenly spoke, sounding contrite with himself.

"Why do we not just use cleaning charms to get rid of the mess?"

Duo grabbed his wand with a grin as he finished cleaning off his hands. "Great idea Quat."

Harry's eyes widened slightly. "No!"

The wands that had been swiftly taken out stopped at Harry's tone of voice.

"You can't use the Cleaning Charms on_ people_." Harry began to explain, his voice going into an almost Heero-like mode as he spoke. "Technically the Cleaning Charms are scouring ones. If Quatre had to use the Cleaning Charm on his hair, he'd end up painfully bald."

Duo's eyes widened as he looked at his blond friend. "Bald. Not your look Q-man. Not your look."

Heero looked slightly contemplative. Harry doubted anyone other than those present would even be able to tell the stoic boy's expression had changed but he could.

"To scour is to clean, polish or wash by scrubbing vigorously." That intense gaze fell on Quatre before Heero turned away.

"Hn."

"Why isn't this mentioned in any of the books we've covered?" Wufei asked, sounding angry, surprise surprise, and grouchy. "Surely someone would think to mention a fact as important as this?"

Harry frowned, agreeing with the Chinese teen but knowing the unfortunate answer to his question.

"Most witches and wizard do not possess an ounce of logic. In fact, they're some of the most illogical people I've ever known. They most likely expected the students to make the connection between the incantation and the meaning of the word scour."

Quatre huffed. "The only way for that to be possible is by word of mouth." He looked at Harry's blank face and shivered a bit. It was so odd that Harry could act exactly like Heero only a bit more...open? Actually it was like Harry forced himself to be more friendly with the five of them. Strange. "I take it this is one of the smaller reasons for this war in the magical community?"

Harry gave the blond his own version of a 'hn' and quickly forced himself to explain it more. Quatre stored that away for later. Something was wrong here.

"A pureblood would already be taught the dangers of using a scouring charm on the body while numerous half-bloods and muggle-borns would have to learn these simple rules. The purebloods believe letting muggle-borns into the Wizarding World will be the end of the magical traditions, customs and culture. The fanatics thing they're superior to anyone not of pure blood."

No one was pleased with the explanation. Wufei shook his head in disgust, looking murderous as they reached their portrait and Harry stopped, studying the picture with interest.

A woman with soft golden brown locks, dressed in an old style yellow gown as sitting calmly on a wooden swing that hung from the only large tree in the picture; a weeping willow. Softly, she sang a sweet song with a vaguely familiar tune to it.

Nearer the base of the tree sat another woman, her hair as black as Harry's. Her gown was one of the deepest blue as she sat reading a thick book next to a man with white blond hair, reminiscent of the Malfoys. His clothes were emerald green as he made what appeared to be a Blood Burning potion under the willow's draping vines.

The last man wore completely red. Even his hair and somewhat scruffy beard were a deep scarlet color as he practiced fencing with his rapier.

"Hm." Harry began, cocking his head a bit to the side, looking politely interested. "A painting of the Four Founders of Hogwarts. I've never seen one before."

Four pairs of eyes darted to Harry's form.

"A student!" The woman who was obviously mean to be Helga Hufflepuff said, her face shining with happiness.

"Indeed," Gryffindor said, putting away his weapon. "One who knows who we are."

Slytherin took one quick look over Harry's clothes and Hogwarts robe before snorting in disgust. "A Gryffindor. I should be so shocked as to find one with the brain capacity to recognize us."

The red Godric Gryffindor growled at his blond companion and opened his mouth to response when the only founder left, obviously Rowena Ravenclaw spoke, her eyes never leaving her book.

"I do find it immensely amusing that the only difference between a Gryffindor's courage and a Slytherin's Calculated Risk is the number of letter it takes to spell each." Sharp violet eyes flashed over the book's top, darting over to Slytherin's form. "Gryffindor is not synonymous with stupid, Salazar, just as Slytherin does not mean evil."

"Just arrogant, prejudiced and narrow-minded." Gryffindor muttered, glaring at the blond. Helga Hufflepuff giggled as she whispered over to Gryffindor.

"Don't forget mean. Sally is a mean wizard."

Slytherin shot up, shaking a fist at the yellow dressed girl. "Don't call me Sally, you dunderhead ed buttercup!"

Helga sniffled at the insult as Gryffindor pulled out his weapon again, ready to defend his friend's honor.

"Protection." Harry said suddenly, his voice sharp and cold. The three founders stopped arguing to stare at Harry as Ravenclaw gestured with her right hand and let them in. Harry strode in, undoing the front of his robes to reveal a simple black tank top and dark blue jeans underneath. Harry blinked at the discovery. **'I don't even remember putting this on. I never wear clothes like this.'**

Slytherin Harry commented on its flexibility as Harry scowled to himself.

"We have to change that password before tomorrow." Harry observed as the portrait hole swung shut. "Even if you really are studying here at Hogwarts, it will be obvious to those who matter what you're really doing and Dumbledore has a habit of trying to surround me with familiar things."

"Still a damn lucky guess with that password." Duo muttered to himself before shooting Harry a smirk. "Happy hair washing, man. Caramel is a real bitch to get out." The curious looks from Trowa, Quatre and Heero made the braided wizard grin awkwardly.

"Not that I would know anything about it. Weren't you going to have a shower too, Q-man?"

Harry shook his head silently before heading to his new room. His trunk had been dropped at the foot of a four poster bed almost exactly like the one Harry used in his old Gryffindor dorm room. The only difference was the color of the drapes and comforter; these were a dark midnight blue.

Heero was the only one Harry could see being his room mate as he glanced over at the other bed . Two regular black duffel bags sat innocently on a bed whose colors were a blue only a bit lighter than Harry's. On the desk between the two beds sat a sleek silver laptop, out of the bright sunlight streaming through the only decent sized window in the room.

The temptation to flip the computer's top and see if there was any information on his mysterious bodyguards was almost too hard to resist. Only Slytherin Harry's warning of being caught kept Harry's now itching fingers to his side.

It was ridiculous, really. The only computer Harry had ever seen, forget actually used, had been his cousin's Apple PC back in Surrey and that had been ages ago. Even then, a younger Harry could barely blow up aliens, never mind break into secure files.

Grabbing a change of clothes, Harry entered the bathroom he'd be sharing with Heero, next to the bedroom's door. His five bodyguards had yet to leave their shared common room, instead sitting around saying nothing.

_'They're waiting for you to start up the shower so they can talk about you.' _Slytherin Harry quipped snidely, sending Harry's paranoia up a few notches. Turning on the water, Harry looked at himself in the mirror as he waited for it to warm up.

"I'll prove you wrong, right now." He whispered to himself and suddenly, in a blink, his stance changed from depressed and on guard to light and cat-like as he crept towards the door. The shower made just the right amount of inference between the sound of water hitting the porcelain and the thick wooden door, only letting the wizard hear the faint murmurings of five voices. Eyebrows dipped as Harry twitched his fingers and suddenly it was like he was a fly on the wall in the room.

Trowa and Quatre were sitting on one of the love seats, perched on the edge together as they listened to Duo, Heero and Wufei talk. Harry's room mate was resting against the wall, close to their bedroom door as Wufei stood by the fire and Duo paced the length between Wufei and the edge of the love seat.

"This sure isn't your typical, everyday body guard duty huh, guys? Not that I'd ever except to call my life normal but this one really takes the cake!" Duo stopped his pacing to throw himself down in a comfy armchair.

"And Harry's no Relena, that's for sure. I don't think you have to worry about crazy stalker obsessions from that guy."

Wufei and Heero snorted, amused before Duo's lover frowned. "There's something weird about him. Potter acts like he's two different people at times."

"More like he's stuck between being two different people." Quatre said quietly, rubbing his chest. "He's so confused and worried. A couple of times today... he's been terrified."

"Of us?" Trowa asked, rubbing the blond's shoulders slowly.

Quatre shook his head. "No, that's what's so sad. He's afraid of himself. I felt it after he grabbed Duo. Anger, shock, shame, guilt and pure terror."

Heero straightened up. "Did you read him while he grabbed Duo?"

Quatre blushed and nodded but didn't speak.

"Q-bean, it's okay to use your gift to help people, you know." Duo said, massaging his wrist. "If we're gonna do this bodyguard thing right, we'll need someone who understands what he's going through. Who better than us and Quat?"

The smile the blond gave Duo was big and bright, making Trowa toss the braided wizard one himself. Slytherin Harry noted that Barton's good mood seemed to be directly proportionate to Winner's happiness.

"You all know I don't usually try to read a person's inner emotions all the time. I like to respect their privacy." Quatre hedged, his teal eyes looking earnestly into his friends'. "But for a moment, when Harry was out of it, I swear he felt exactly like Heero did when we first met him. Only it was more intense."

The others frowned. Heero looked thoughtful, or about as thoughtful as Harry thought Heero could look, as he stared at Quatre.

"What do you mean?"

The Arab sighed. "I've thought about this before but I didn't want to upset you." The blue-eyed teen gave him a look that clearly said not much upset him and that he really should just get to the point. "Your training, it was supposed to be used to suppress your emotions; to make you work more... efficiently, correct?"

Heero nodded before Quatre continued. "Well I could always feel them, distantly... but they are there, no matter what we all thought at one point or another."

Wufei and Duo squirmed guiltily.

Quatre's eyes became distant as he remembered the incident that afternoon. "Harry was a bit different. I could feel that same distant emotional pull with him, only his emotions were almost not there at all. They were barely shadows of emotions, like someone had told him what guilt felt like but he'd never really experienced it himself. Only when 'Harry' came back did I feel true emotion again."

Slytherin Harry was impressed with this bit of knowledge. The little blond was clearly empathic and a lot more dangerous than he'd first thought. Harry stored that thought away for later as Quatre put his head in his hands and groaned.

"That's not all. There's something...wrong about him. It's not just the familiarity with Heero but there's something else there." Raising his head, Quatre looked troubled. "Something I've felt before, I just can't figure out what exactly it is."

"Don't worry so much. It will come in time." Trowa said, his words starting a blanket of silence over the room. Duo shifted restlessly.

"Do we tell him? Do we tell anyone about this?" Wufei demanded after a moment's contemplation. "Our knowledge of magic is limited to what we can take from these school books, not anything of much use or help in this situation."

"I dunno, man." Duo hedged, looking weary. "This is a lot of private emotional baggage here. Harry might not feel so forgiving knowing Quat read him and all."

"Potter has a lot of enemies." Heero pointed out from his spot by the door. "This could be dangerous in the wrong hands."

"What about the Headmaster?" Wufei said suddenly. "He seems to care for the boy and his intentions are good."

Duo shook his head. "This is were I remind you just what the road to hell is paved with."

"Good intentions." Quatre said with a grim smile.

Duo stared at the flickering fire, his trademark grin gone from his face. "Things were much more easier when it was just me and Deathscythe. And you guys. Although I reserve the right to revoke that last part at any time."

Harry pulled back from his spot near the door sharply at that. Deathscythe. The name tugged at his mind as that dreaded tingling returned and, for the second time that day, a memory washed over Harry's mind.

_Memory_

_"What will you name her, Emerald? She needs a name."_

_The man's voice was slick, like oil, as he addressed him. He gave the impressive creation a once over with dark jade eyes before returning to sharpening his knife._

_"Does she really? I thought you were told to put aside your foolish muggle ideals and make a weapon. A weapon hardly needs a name."_

_The slight whizzing of the man's mechanical arm filled the air as he turned sharply, his white lab coat flaring out in anger._

_"She is a weapon. A weapon so grand, she needs a name that can be whispered in fear throughout the ages. Something to fill our enemies' nightmares and jump from our allies' lips! Somethin-"_

_"Phoenix."_

_The man- a doctor it seemed- paused at the interruption before turning to look at him._

_"Phoenix you say." His eyes darted over at him, Emerald his mind supplied his name was Emerald, in suspicion. "Why?"_

_Those emotionless dark green eyes rolled over to look at the giant in quiet consideration._

_"Can't you see it? You've built it to resemble a phoenix." A cruel smile drifted up onto his pale lips. "Besides, isn't the symbolism delicious?"_

_The sharpened knife was put away as he took a step forward, looking at the new weapon completely. "A phoenix, the bird of death and resurrection, of hope and peace, the mascot for the Light now suddenly the weapon of the Dark."_

_One pale hand reached out to touch a cold metal shin before a dark chuckle sounded from him. "A lot like their Precious Saviour." A messy-haired head turned to look at his companion suddenly confused. "What ever happened to him?"_

_"He's been taken care of, Emerald." The doctor said hastily. "Phoenix. Do you think Master will approve?"_

_"I shall ask him." Emerald said, turning away from his future weapon with a smirk. "Although I think he'll enjoy the thought of a phoenix being the last thing his opposers see before they die."_

_As he left, Emerald heard the doctor chuckle. "And G thought Deathscythe was morbid."_

_Present Time_

Harry blinked at the throb of pain in his head, making his eyes water. Closing his eyes, a series of numbers flashed over and over behind his eyelids. A sense of urgency, that those numbers were important, filled Harry's mind. He needed to write them down. However the bathroom was not the place to find a spare quill and parchment lying around.

_The mirror._ Slytherin Harry hissed, making green eyes dart over to the sink. The steam from the shower had fogged up the mirror's reflective surface. Using a shaky finger, Harry quickly wrote down the numbers down before staring up at them.

"51º30'25''N, 0°07'39''W"(1) Harry whispered to himself wondering at their significance before realizing they were coordinates. _But to what?_ Slytherin Harry asked. _The only way to find out is to check._

Harry worried his lip, his eyes darting up to the only window in the bathroom, large enough fro him to crawl out of, if he wanted to. Stepping gently up onto the toilet seat, Harry lifted the hook keeping the glass pane drawn shut and gave an experimental push. The window slid open quietly, letting the escaping wizard judge the distance from the ledge to the ground below.

It seemed as though had chosen rooms on the east side of the castle, the exact opposite side of the Forbidden Forest, overlooking the lake. The drop was only a bit above two stories.

With one quick glance at the bathroom door, Harry hefted himself up onto the window ledge and out the window.

GWHPGWHPGWHPGW

A/N: Phew! -wipes forehead- Harry's being a bad wizard again. -shakes finger at Harry- You've got bodyguards for a reason! Five hunky dudes to guard your _body_ and you run away! Shame on you!

1. Actually these are the longitudinal and latitudinal degrees of London, England but for this story they're 'Somewhere Else'.

Anyways, thanks for being so patient and please review! For every review not written Heero and Une realize they're soul mates and elope.

S.Tangerine


	6. Where Will You Go?

A/N: This chapter was written listening to Evanescence, especially the song 'Where Will You Go'. Perfect song for Harry in this fic right now. Actually, if allowed song fics this probably would have been based on this song. -grumbles- stupid sorry for the long wait. I wrote this over twice before I was happy with Harry's ...moment. Hopefully now, anyone even remotely familiar with Gundam Wing will know what's wrong with Harry. Everyone else will just have to wait for the reveal.

* * *

Chapter Six: Where Will You Go?

Harry hit the soft, grassy ground below with a silent thump, instantly landing in a defensive crouch. Glancing up, the escaping wizard caught sight of his open window and frowned. The possibility of being caught was too great. He couldn't leave it open like that, a blatant trail to his escape, but he couldn't close it again without being discovered too soon. What to do, what to do...

A flash of glowing green numbers gave the wizard the answer.

Tilting his head to the side, Harry kept his green gaze on the window and watched as it slowly closed itself, leaving a gap for the steam from the shower to escape. The cool air would erase the markings on the mirror and keep secret just how long ago he had left.

Without another glance, Harry suddenly dashed around the side of the castle, his feet silent against the ground. He was a black blurred shadow in the pink and purple lights of the setting sun as he headed for the edge of the wards around Hogwarts.

No matter what people thought, even Merlin himself would be hard pressed to actually accomplish apparating on Hogwarts' grounds without leaving behind a valuable part of his body. It was common knowledge that Anti-Apparation Spells worked just not _how_ they worked.

Basically, the spells made their specified area unplottable. The only way into or out of an unplottbale area was by portkey, which leaves behind a residual magical signature, or by Floo powder. Harry doubted very much that Death Eaters would be in the habit of conjuring up fireplaces in the middle of battle and trying to connect them to the Floo Network. Not only was it easy to trace but there was a two week waiting period before proper Floo travel was available. Portkeys are entirely too traceable as well; not exactly the best choices for a clean getaway.

The wards of Hogwarts stretched out a stark few feet into the Forbidden Forest, not in far enough to be bothersome to the centaurs and other far more dangerous creatures that lived there but just enough to completely cover the enormous grounds.

Harry stopped running when his shoes began to make a slight crunching sound on the dead leaves and twigs that covered the forest floor. A cool breeze made the tops of the trees sway as jade eyes swept the surrounding area intently. The tingle of the wards reading his magical signature was irritating but Harry could do nothing to erase it. Hogwarts magic was old magic, the kind that strengthened over time, and messing with it would only leave a bigger sign that he'd left Hogwarts completely and of his own will. Besides Dumbledore was gone for the night, and if Harry's predictions were correct, he was the only person with the authority to actually view the records of the wards around Hogwarts.

The...thing? Presence? Whatever it was- in his mind told him he was alone, or at least the only magical creature with the brainpower above a Flobberworm within sensing distance to know of his departure. Slytherin Harry was joyfully silent, probably a result of being more in control, while Gryffindor Harry was calling him seven kinds of idiot and yelling to go back before something bad happened. Again. Back to his _bodyguards. _They were hired for a reason.

Harry snorted to himself, relaxing his body in preparation to apparate. Gryffindor Harry was one hundred and ten percent loyal to Dumbledore and did exactly what the older wizard wanted, no matter what. Slytherin Harry liked to work on his own, be his own boss. Never again would he be used, by Voldemort or Dumbledore. This kept things interestingly balanced but a pain to make decisions with.

Harry kept his eyes open as he felt his body fold upon itself, magically of course, before jumping forward. The chance of him actually loosing his eyeballs was slim, not even two percent, and the split second it took to open his eyes when he landed might be all the chance a fatal shot would need.

Gryffindor Harry was reaffirming his suspicions of having a blood link to Mad Eye as Harry felt his body jerk to a stop and unfold. All of this happened in mere seconds, a jump from the Forbidden Forest in Scotland to...

Harry studied his surroundings in puzzlement. It was another forest, this one full of orange, red and brown leaved trees, the dark green of a few pine standing out brazenly. Close by, a bird of some kind called and Harry's hand twitched at the sudden break in the silence.

The bird's call stopped half-way.

Gryffindor Harry was silent after that.

A slight path, visible only by the darkened dirt against the fallen swirls of faded leaves, lead Harry away from his initial apparation point and deeper into the vast forest. Sporadically, the sounds of the wildlife would startle the wizard, his hands clenching and relaxing in an almost continuous cycle as the trees began to thin and bright autumn sunlight broke through the dark canopy.

Harry blinked as he suddenly found himself on the banks of a huge lake, one that looked almost out of place in the middle of the forest, its dark waters contrasting sharply with the colors around it.

_Here_. His mind whispered faintly. This place was important.

For a moment, Harry let the numbers and the possibilities overcome him, relaxing into the presence in his mind and just being there as multiple futures skimmed vaguely over his frazzled consciousness.

"Emerald!"

The sudden shout of what was obviously a name frightened the dark-eyed wizard into an almost instinctual attack. The trees behind him, separating the wizard from what he could now see as a little boy of about ten, swayed and exploded. Harry nearly choked on his breath as the little boy shrieked and threw up his small arms to ward off the attack.

A moment passed as nothing hit him, when the boy put his arms down to see the splinters and sticks of the tress held in midair barely inches from his body.

"Whoa..." His messy blond hair shone in the sun as he watched the trees rewind and come back together with a groan. Everything started back up again as the leaves swayed in the breeze again and the boy was back in motion, running towards Harry.

It was to the bewilderment of the black haired wizard that his arms opened up to grab the little runt as he sent a flying hug his way. Duo had barely touched him earlier that day and Harry had nearly broken his wrist. This little scrap of a boy was hugging him like a boa constrictor and the only thing he could think of doing was hug him back.

"Emerald, I was so worried you wouldn't come back! You said before that you wasn't sure if you could anymore."

Harry swallowed at the innocent pleasure the boy seemed to get from his presence as he watched that little blond head, which had been trying to bury itself in his mid-drift, pulled back to reveal shining hazel eyes. Then the boy frowned in confusion.

"You're usually wet when I see you. You haven't come to check on her yet?"

Vocal cords which had been previously frozen in shock and confusion booted back up as Harry put his hands on the boy's shoulders.

"What?"

It was alarming to watch as the child's face crumpled suddenly.

"Oh, you've forgotten already! You said it would happen but I had truly hoped it wouldn't! You don't remember me, do you?"

Harry shook his head silently, feeling himself shake as Gryffindor Harry told him to not kill the boy. He was a little cutie-pie. Slytherin Harry snorted before admitting the kid was alright and apparently bright.

The child sighed so sadly. "Oh Emerald! It must be scary to not remember anything! Just like my Grandpa Fred! He keeps calling me Samuel when he knows that's only my middle name! He keeps forgetting I'm Jackson!"

Jackson stuck out his hand suddenly and gave Harry a big cheery grin. It didn't fade as the wizard slowly took the little hand in his.

"You said my name is-was Emerald?"

Jackson nodded excitedly. "That's what you told me! I found you up here on the banks hurt real bad just after school was out. You were bleeding and everything! I was gonna take you home to mom but then you just-" The boy snapped his fingers suddenly. "- woke up!"

The grin stayed on the boy's sun-tanned face as he spoke quickly. "It was pretty cool! But it wasn't cool that you were hurt. So I helped you and then we were friends. I used to come up here every day to see you but you could only come sometimes."

Golden eyebrows furrowed sharply. "I was a bit afraid you might be a criminal or a murderer or something worse. Maybe the bogeyman. You kept saying you were gonna kill me too and that was scary. But when you showed me Phoenix, I knew you wasn't a bad guy. You're a Gundam Pilot."

At Harry's uncomprehending look, the sunny grin faded. Harry looked down at the lake with troubled eyes.

"A Gundam Pilot?"

The way Jackson's eyes widened and his jaw dropped would have been comical at another time, Harry absently noted as the boy gapped at him.

"You don't even remember being a pilot? Man, this is worse than I thought! Do you remember _anything_ about _anything_?"

Harry's affronted pride made him give the boy a sharp look.

"Yes. Just not anything about being this Emerald person. Emerald wasn't real."

Slytherin Harry was impressed that the little shrimp went from happy to suspicious so quickly.

"You mean you're not Emerald?"

Harry rubbed his scar in frustration. "No. I was Emerald. My name's Harry now. I was Harry before I was Emerald and now I'm Harry again."

Jackson looked skeptical as Harry spoke before scratching his chin in thought.

"You mean when you said you didn't remember anything before and that you're name was Emerald was just you forgetting your name was Harry?"

Jade eyes blinked at the explanation before nodding. "Exactly. But now I can't remember when I was Emerald and that's a big problem."

"Why?"

The question was said in such an innocent voice, Harry half wondered if he had the right to burden the little blond boy with his troubles.

"Because I can't remember what I did when I was Emerald. I think I may have done some bad things."

"You did." Harry's eyes shot over to Jackson's solemn face at the serious tone the boy used. He looked a lot older than ten as he stared at Harry, like a doctor telling a patient of his impending death. "You told me that sometimes, your bosses made you do bad things but you couldn't stop it. I think that they brainwashed you myself." Then the grin returned. "But you said that I was helping you fight the evil men and I needed to take car of Phoenix for you AND soon you'd forget everything they did and you would escape and come to see me. Did you escape?"

At his nod, the young boy went into a frenzied dance, shouting excitedly and clapping his hands. A few Indian howls were added as well until Harry couldn't help but smile slightly. It was barely a twinge at the corners of his mouth but it happened and for a moment, the green eyed wizard felt lighter.

The moment was gone as the high pitch of a woman's voice broke through the trees.

"Jackson, supper time!"

Mid-jump the blond boy stopped and looked horror stricken. "Oh no, mom's gonna kill me! It'll take ages to get back from here!"

Without so much as a goodbye, Jackson took off down the bank, heading back up the path. Harry felt his heart constrict in panic as he called out to the boy.

"Wait a moment! Where is this Phoenix?"

Tiny feet skidded to a stop as the boy turned around quickly.

"I already told ya! She's in the lake. Come back again, Emerald!"

Harry watched as his younger companion rushed off into the dense forest with a lost expression on his face. His memories had told him that Emerald was a dangerous, cold-hearted killer with a dark thirst for revenge but if Jackson were to be believed, and Harry's knowledge of children's unique ability to be completely honest told him it was, then Emerald was slightly more human than he thought.

With an irritated sigh Harry turned to consider the lake, wincing slightly at the throb headache that had suddenly taken up residence behind his scar. He didn't need to follow the threads of those annoying possibilities to know he had two choices- to go into the lake or to not go into the lake.

Gryffindor Harry shrugged, up for a bit of heroic exploration. Slytherin Harry wanted to make sure no one else came looking for his Phoenix and had already carefully weighted the options. This was one of those Calculated Risk things, he always hated.

Harry roughly toed off his sneakers and the robe he'd transfigured from a fallen leaf earlier. No sense in getting bogged down with heavy clothing when there was really no need to wear it. Almost absently-absentmindedly, the black-haired wizard folded his belongings and tucked them down at the base of a tree nearest the lake. His hand barely twitched over them before they disappeared from sight, transforming into a dandelion. Instinctively wards were raised to alert him of anyone, or anything in the case of some magical creatures, coming near his position before turning back towards the lake.

Muscles stiffened as Harry went on alert, his eyes scanning the water for a sign of something. Was it just his imagination or did he really see a pair of glowing green eyes flash up at him from the murky depths? Hell, he was already arguing with the other presence in his mind and with his own conscious, why not add hallucinations to the tally as well. If he was going to be insane, he was milking it for all it was worth.

Without hesitation, Harry strode towards the water's edge, not letting the muddy banks keep him. His face was calm as the ice water lapped at his toes, then his ankles, numbing his body as he sank further and further into the lake. Gryffindor Harry was torn between awe at his newfound pain threshold and fear of it. What did it take to make him that strong? The idea that perhaps Harry had already endured worse was not one of comfort. Slytherin Harry was preoccupied with thoughts of just how this new information could be put to good use.

The lake deepened at an alarming rate and before long the wizard was up to his armpits in the dirty water. No a word was said as Harry cast his spells, making breathing underwater far less troublesome for himself than most found it, before slipping underneath the glassy surface.

For once Slytherin Harry and Gryffindor Harry were in a tentative agreement as Harry's gaze snapped around the other world underneath the lake. The sunlight streaked through the muggy surface and lit up patches of the underwater pathway. Shadows from plants and the larger forms of rocks swayed with the buoyancy of the water and the currents from Harry's powerful strokes or the movement of the startled aquatic life. It was different down here.

Slime and tiny particles of dirt were stirred up as Harry swam, keeping an eye out for enemies as well as his elusive Phoenix. Honestly it couldn't be that hard to find, it _was_ a larger-than-life sized robot.

Slytherin Harry cringed before rising up like an angry cat at that Gryffindor-ish description. Phoenix was not a robot; to even think that was... immoral. Besides, he had read some of the articles in the muggle papers about Phoenix and everyone called her a Gundam. Jackson had called him a Gundam Pilot.

Whatever that was.

To another, the vague outline of the Gundam would have been missed entirely. Unknown to Harry, only the other five official, or unofficial depending on who you asked, pilots would have been able to spot her. Harry felt a sort of fondness well up in his chest at the outline of his Phoenix, sitting on th lake's bottom like a lost china doll waiting for its owner.

For a moment, Harry would swear the words 'Welcome Home' were whispered against his consciousness.

All thoughts of talking mechas drifted from his mind as Harry stopped between Phoenix's outstretched legs, floating down to land softly on the muddy lake bottom. Looking up into her face, the wizard felt surprise, and a touch of faint familiarity, to see a pair of glowing green eyes stare down at him.

The tingle of wards, marked by his own magical signature was not a surprise at all. What kind of -pilot?- would he had been if he had simply left Phoenix unprotected in the middle of a lake and alone except for the visits of a young boy while he cheerfully went off and lost his memory again? Not very good one, that was truth. Harry never left his Firebolt for granted, he doubted he would leave something as special as this without high security as well.

Almost instantly, thoughts about upgrades, systems checks and maintenance drifted through Harry's mind. She was made of gundamium, but she had been sitting here for- he paused, frowning- for Merlin knows how long.

Surging upward, Harry came to rest, his palms against the cockpit's hatch. He battled with an almost undeniable urge to simply open the door and sit down. Start her up and leave this place...

Of course common sense told him opening that hatch would ultimately kill Phoenix and himself by way of short-circuit electrocution. He'd need to find another way to move her.

Not for the first time, Harry cursed the loss of his memory. He had no clue as to what he did with Phoenix's remote. The slim little device, with the power to make the Gundam walk to him without his presence at the controls, would have been ideal fro this situation. The remote, however, was missing.

Harry figured, with an irritated sigh, that it must have been destroyed by Emerald to keep Phoenix from Voldemort and- Harry frowned as the name slipped away from his mind again. There was someone else hidden with Voldemort. Someone Harry knew about but wasn't supposed to know about. It couldn't have been another captive.

But Harry wouldn't be this afraid of another captive.

So the remote must have been destroyed. The only other option the green numbers and tingling nerves gave him was that he might have given it to Jackson. Following that thread for a moment, Harry shuddered and shook his head. Or not. The boy was trustworthy but if his presence was missed for too long, if he had been killed in the escape, the runt would have called Phoenix just for fun.

The answer slammed into his head, making Harry wince. Gryffindor Harry was getting angsty with all of his over-analyzing and Slytherin Harry was strung-out with his lingering. Someone could simply drop by at any minute. Friend or foe. Or innocent. What would Harry do to keep Phoenix a secret?

The word 'Anything' pushed at his lips at the same time 'not that' crossed his mind. Harry froze for a moment in indecision. What would he do? Would he let Gryffindor Harry or Slytherin Harry take over, or would he even be given that choice? Would he be forced to kill again?

A scarier thought followed the last one, making Harry shudder and rest a hand on Phoenix for support. Would he enjoy it?

In a tiresome feeling of deja vu, Harry felt a memory peek up and let it. He needed to know, no matter what. Bad or good, this was his burden. Harry needed to know what he'd done to make some memories smell like smoke and blood and sound like tortured screams.

* * *

Memory

_"Mission Complete. Returning to base."_

_Emerald turned off the comm link as the confirmation sounded and sighed. Conflicting feelings of relief and shame filled his chest, making it hard to breath. _

_That wasn't logical. Simple emotions weren't supposed to make it physically confining to draw oxygen into his lungs._

_Besides, were relief and shame even the appropriate ones to be feelings one should have after completely decimating the hidden Veela village of Petite Amoure..._

A stream of bubbles left Harry's mouth as bits and pieces of memories broke free and surfaced in the wizard's mind.

_"Enemies destroyed. Civilian barracks still holding. Mission Complete." Radio static sounded for a moment as Emerald prepared to pull out. _

_Nothing, not even his ability to predict possibilities and probable futures, could have believed he would ever get those next orders._

_"Black Emerald, Mission Incomplete. Civilian barracks must be destroyed. I repeat, destroy civilian barracks."_

_Emerald felt his hands shake as they reached for the controls. Calloused fingertips brushed the cooling hand grips before he pulled them back violently._

_"No."_

_The comm link crackled._

_"What did you say?"_

_Whoever he was talking to was angry, furious in fact, so much so that their voice sent shivers of terror done the pilot's spine. Green numbers flashed rapidly across his eyes. No, the mission was to destroy the armies, his enemies. Innocents were needed to rebuild. Reconstruction was necessary for the survival of the race._

_"Orders not recognized. Orders denied. Orders unconfirmed. Orders fucked up!"_

_The voice on the other line rose dramatically at Emerald's outburst._

_"Black Emerald complete the mission. If the civilian barracks are still standing you have failed. You cannot fail your mission!"_

_The words '**Failure is not an option**' whispered through his mind as another thought overpowered it, making him feel weak. _

_**Sometimes failure is the only option.**_

_If he knew exactly what smug rebellion felt like, Emerald would have labeled the strange sensation bubbling up in the pit of his stomach as such as he replied back, a smirk across his lips._

_"Mission failed."_

_The man made a noise of outrage before his half-spoken words were cut off suddenly. Emerald kept the smirk on his face as he booted up the thrusters and left site, communications still open._

_"Black Emerald, report back to the left hanger immediately."_

_The smirk disappeared as the rebellious pilot froze._

_"Left hanger?" He repeated, his mind frantic with possibilities._

_"Yes. It seems you need to be...re-educated in some aspects of your training."_

_Emerald may not have known the feeling of smugness but fear was an old friend._

_

* * *

__My Lord, he's escaping! Ja-"_

_Whatever the black-robed Death Eater had been about to shout was cut off as his throat was crushed. Instead, a wet gurgle echoed in the damp corridors of the base's underground. Emerald debated leaving the filth alive as predictions of possible capture dashed across his eyes. _

_With a curse, he turned and left the man there._

_Lucky bastard._

_Still pulling out needles, plastic tubes and torn wires, he sped down the torch lit hall, feet silent on the cold stone floor. It had been unbelievably foolish of them to have given him free-reign of the base after they had given him the tools necessary to break out._

_They'd made him this way. A ruthless killer, super strong, super fast, super psychic. They'd made him but he belonged to no one._

_It was time for them to deal with the consequences of their actions. A simple act of cause and effect. His freedom was within his reach so that never again would someone else control him. Never again. He'd have to kill no longer..._

_Three Death Eaters stumbled through a door at the end of the corridor, wands drawn, ready for battle._

_Emerald let a predatory smirk cross his face._

_Well, maybe that thought would have to wait..._

* * *

Harry jerked back to the present, his heart pounding in time with the throb in his head as his mind already began to process what he'd just remembered. Absently, his hands smoothed across the chest plate of Phoenix, as if soothing a startled child.

Sweet, merciful Merlin it was worse than he'd thought.

Realizing, in his fourth year, that Cedric Diggory had been a victim of the tragic 'wrong place, wrong time' scenario simply because he was standing next to Harry had been traumatizing. He'd had nightmares ever since.

Even more ghastly than that, discovering his sole role in the death of the other boy's father had been pushing it to the end of Harry's tolerance levels.

But to suddenly remember, and actually understand, that he'd wiped out entire towns and villages of innocent people, entire clans and packs of magical creatures, was too much to bear.

Harry began to shake slightly.

He'd been Voldemort's pawn, his perfect weapon, all along and hadn't even known it, hadn't remembered. His hands curled into fists as he recalled being poked and probed and tied down to a cold metal table. There had been cold hands roughly touching him, his eyes stinging with all the bright lights as they erased Harry James Potter and created this Black Emerald to do their bidding.

Harry swallowed and looked back up at Phoenix.

Only they hadn't erased him, not completely. Somewhere along the line, Harry had been buried, pushed away and kept safe, kept innocent of all the things Emerald made them do. Now he had both, both Emerald and Harry trying to co-exist without driving him insane.

Two extremes tugging him in different direction, tearing at him until he broke or stretched and adapted. Or change.

There was really only one option.

Harry needed to embrace Emerald and everything he stood for. Emerald needed to accept Harry and his ideals or risk short-circuiting. They didn't have to agree completely but meet halfway and find a middle ground.

_Balance._ Harry thought to himself. _We need to balance each other out or **they** win._

There was no verbal, or mental Harry thought with a shaky grin, reply but Gryffindor Harry and Slytherin Harry faded into the background, still fighting but under the wizard's tentative control. For now. Harry wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to stop Bla- **Emerald**- from emerging if his control wavered.

Memories pushed aside with his thoughts, Harry looked up at Phoenix. He just had a wonderful idea on how to get her out of here.

* * *

Duo Maxwell opened the bathroom door in a whirl of wood and steam, securing a black elastic band on the end of his braid with a flourish. He stopped short at the figure of his best friend still waiting to use the shower.

"Man, just go in and drag him out." Duo complained, exasperated with Heero's odd passive-aggressive nature with their charge. "No one takes thirty minutes showering, not even me and I have enough hair for ten of us."

Heero eyed the long braid trailing behind his friend in thought before snapping his gaze back to Duo's.

"You have enough hair to adequately cover twelve point thirty eight heads."

Duo scrunched up his face as he groaned. "Dude, that's so gross. If you ever get tired of this bodyguard business you can write outrageous facts for children's books."

"Hn." The look on Heero's fact was one of contemplation, making Duo give the Japanese wizard an odd look. Heero shook his head. "That occupation does not pay as well."

"I was kidding, man-oh ha ha very funny. Let's all laugh at Duo. Come on everyone join in." The American teen said, catching the teasing light in the other's dark blue eyes.

A deep chuckle came from the pair's right, startling them. Trowa stood in the doorway to his and Quatre's rooms, a towel still thrown over his shoulder. The tiniest smirk flitted around his mouth as he looked at Duo in amusement.

"I believe I missed the punch line."

Heero shrugged. "You can laugh at him anyway."

Duo was pouting when Wufei joined them, raising an eyebrow at his smirking friends. The smug expression didn't flatten at the Chinese teen's glare.

"What hap-"

Whatever Wufei was going to say was cut off as Quatre dashed out of his room, his clothes in various states of disarray. He ignored Duo's shout of confusion and avoided Heero's grab at him.

Quicker than the other four pilots had ever seen him move, the blond was at the bathroom shared by Harry and Heero, turning at the knob. When it didn't budge, a slight growl came from Quatre, making Wufei raise his eyebrows. Duo blinked as the blond turned to Heero.

"Open this door."

Trowa had no doubt his lover meant for Heero to simply kick it open and leave the door fairly intact.

No one expected 01 to literally rip the door knob out of the wood.

There was a pause as the five wizards looked around the room.

"You know, I'm kinda surprised that I'm not surprised to see its empty." Duo remarked tightly. Heero was already checking out the window.

"It's open. No signs of a forced entry."

"Or a struggle." Trowa pointed out calmly. Quatre nodded, rubbing his chest and looking sheepish.

"I just realized before I got in the shower that something felt...off. When I checked on you guys I noticed Harry's presence was missing."

"Where would he go?" Wufei demanded, serious. "Why for that matter? He doesn't strike me as the type to run away."

"Nor the type to be able to get out from under the noses of the five Gundam Pilots." Duo countered. "Aw man! We've been had!"

"Could he still be in the castle?" It seemed that they would be ignoring Duo's last remark for actually finding their charge. Quatre closed his eyes for a moment. He sighed gustily. "I can't feel him anywhere."

Heero turned sharply and exited the crowded bathroom.

"Let's search the castle and grounds. We may find someone to help."

* * *

Remus Lupin stood in the entrance Hall of Hogwarts with the heavy feeling of bittersweet belonging in his chest. He was back. Home again, alone and just a bit more weary than he had been four years ago.

The castle was disturbingly silent, a startling contrast to how the werewolf was used to the school being. Hogwarts wasn't built to be silent or empty, and Remus wondered just how Albus Dumbledore could ever stand to live here year round.

Slowly, with his trunk scraping along behind him, the werewolf made his way completely inside the doors and started on the familiar route to his new-old office. It was on a somewhat more cheerful note that Remus realized he never thought he'd be back at Hogwarts to teach and yet he had returned for another shot at it. Of course there had been a few complaints, but most families had come to see that Voldemort's rising was of much more concern than a harmless werewolf teaching their children Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Remus suspected, a bit modestly, that Harry's force the DA had had something to do with talking down their parents. He never did suspect that it might have been his amazing teaching ability or his friendly nature that had gained him so many admirers.

His feet padded gently on the carpeted floor, his amber gaze flickering around to look at the paintings and stationary suits of armor. He was home.

Knowing that the students weren't due to arrive until late the next day, the spicy scent of male teenagers, _cubs _his mind labeled quickly, _just like Harry, _startled him. The werewolf's enhanced hearing strained to catch the sound of another's stride, more than one he realized, coming down the corridor ahead of him.

Silently, Remus set his trunk down and crept up the hall slowly, listening to the different walks and trying to fit them into the ones he knew. There was one a bit like Minerva's in that it sounded like a cat's graceful stalk. The arrogance, barely present in it was different from the Transfiguration Professor's quiet confidence that she was in charge.

The next one was erratic but barely there, a right contradiction. It seemed to be a cross between Flitwick's excited gant and Dumbledore's quiet ghostings. It was confidant and cautious, as if the person walking new danger could be just around every corner and welcomed it with open arms.

Next came a step that reminded Remus very much of Harry's gentleness clashing with Draco Malfoy's knowledge that this person deserved to be there, walking around. There was that undercurrent of disguised danger that Harry constantly gave off only it was tapered back by something Remus wasn't sure he could understand.

The last two were...odd. Remus could barely make out one, the only sound that seemed to come off that person was the sound of air moving around their body, while the other strode down the corridor with a single-minded determinedness and ire Remus had only seen Severus Snape pass off. One foot in front of the other, steady and efficient were the first words that popped into the werewolf's head as he prepared for their arrival. Whoever they were, they were strangers to him and the Defense Professor was not stupid enough to believe the best of everyone in these troubled times.

Prepared for a surprise confrontation, Remus was terrified to find himself grabbed suddenly and slammed into the walk. The hands at his robe's collar were strong and steady as the stars cleared from the older man's vision to let him realize he was actually hanging off the floor by the hands of a shorter teenage boy.

A frightfully strong teenage boy with a fierce expression and surrounded by four of his friends, it appeared.

Remus blinked at them all before the wolf in him tensed at what he saw. The boy holding him didn't need his weapon but the others had taken no chance. One of their number, a boy of obvious Asian descent, was wielding a sword like he knew how to use it while the teen next to him, supporting an outrageously long braid of chestnut colored hair, was holding two sharp looking knives.

The last two made the werewolf's blood run cold.

"Dear Merlin, are those guns?"

A gentle looking blond and another tall boy with hair that reminded Remus of a Shetland pony held hand guns and were, Remus saw, taking point at both sides of their trio of friends. Unfortunately, that appeared to be the wrong thing to say as the one holding the professor up growled, returning his attention back to see wild chocolate-colored hair and startling blue eyes. Eyes Remus hadn't seen since Sirius Black...

"Who are you?"

The question was growled in a way that told the trapped wizard if he didn't have a very good excuse for being there he was in trouble. Thankfully, Remus Lupin was the calmest out of the four Mauraders.

"I think I should be asking you that question. I was under the idea that the students didn't arrive until tomorrow."

The blond groaned before huffing in frustration. "You're a professor?"

The others, all clear the one with his hands at Remus' throat, relaxed slightly at the older man's nod.

"I teach Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Prove it."

That challenged came from the one with the sword. Remus was boggled at how to do what he asked. "It might be easier if I weren't pinned to the wall like a beetle but I can tell you that I know the password to Albus Dumbledore's office is Strawberry Swirl and that he has ventured off to meet with the Headmistress of Beaubattons in France."

There was obvious hesitation on three of the five boy's faces as Remus sent a faint prayer up that he wouldn't get killed by the five Preventers Albus had hired to protect his godson. He honestly doubted that parents were sending their children to school armed nowadays and that was the only conclusion he could come up with for these five having actual muggle weapons..

A sudden thought seared its way through Remus mind.

If these five were Harry's guardians, just where exactly, was Harry?

The answer came when the braided teen let out a frustrated breath and touched the wizard's blue-eyed attacker cautiously.

"We don't have time for this. He's been away for an hour now and 04's not-"

"Harry's gone?!"

Remus abandoned all rational thinking and his hold on his emotions, struggling against the surprisingly strong hold on him. He growled dangerously. "You've lost my godson?!"

The blond gasped, a hand hovering over his chest as he turned to stare at Remus. Teal colored eyes flashed as he spoke. "Put him down Heero. He speaks the truth."

No one moved as Heero's too-blue gaze flickered from Remus' frantic face to Quatre's open one. His grip didn't waiver as Quatre' expression became...darker and his bright eyes turned almost blank.

"I told you to Put. Him. Down."

Remus felt _Moony_ crawl back into his mind at the tone of voice used by the blond. Hero's hands dropped him immediately and the teen stepped back, sending a glare at Remus and an unreadable expression at the golden boy who ignored him for looking at Remus.

"Harry appears to have left of his own accord, Sir. We have already searched the upper levels of the castle and we on our way to the dungeons."

_'Searched the whole of the castle in only an hour?' _Remus thought faintly as the news hit him.

"Harry ran away? He wouldn't-" There was a pause as five sharp gazes focused in on the professor's reaction. Remus groaned. "What am I talking about, it's Harry? Of course he would."

"This is a repeated behavior?" The boy with the sword demanded briskly, his brows frowning in anger. "Why were we not informed of it?"

Remus waved a hand in confusion. "Why should I know? Dumbledore does things his way and that's how it is."

The tallest one of the bunch spoke up, his voice low and soothing, in a scary sort of way. "Perhaps we should continue our search and save these talks for a later time."

There was no shameful blushes in the group as they gathered together and mapped out who would search where. Remus felt distinctively out of the loop and worried. It would take a frightfully long time to search the whole of the undergrounds of Hogwarts. It was full of twists and turns and little cubbyholes that had been horrible to draw on the Maurader's Map.

Remus blinked before clearing his throat. "Where's Harry's trunk?"

A meeting of looks told the older wizard that the one with Sirius' eyes was against telling him that. The blond one over-ruled him silently.

"In our rooms."

The guy with the braid, and a set of bright violet eyes, glared at nothing with an out-of-place grin on his face. "If he's hidden away in there for a joke I'll kill him myself."

Remus quickly explained. "No, Harry holds in his possession a map of Hogwarts and all her grounds. One look on it would tell you if he's left completely."

"We are not taking him to the rooms." The one who assaulted Remus said sharply as the not-so-gentle blond raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to argue back. Remus beat him to it.

"Oh blast it all! _Accio Maurader's Map._"

The braided teen gave his protesting friend a look. "I thought we beat that Lone Ranger instinct out of you years ago. Quatre's not wrong about these kind of things and you know it. So get your head outta your ass and think for a damn minute."

Personally, the werewolf would have called that a bit harsh but was too distracted by the whistling sound of the all too familiar map whizzing through the air. He caught it smoothly in his outstretched hand. In a flash it was unrolled and had a wand tip nearly shoved through its parchment.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

In the silence of everyone watching the spidery lines draw themselves out onto the old parchment, the teen with the braid nudged the Asian boy beside him and mumbled out of the corner of his mouth "There's a wicked story behind that, I know there is."

Remus grunted slightly. "You can forcibly drag it out of Harry when we find him. Now hold this out and help me look."

Eyes roamed the map quickly before the tallest teen, the one with the braid and the one Remus suspected was named Heero pointed out on the grounds.

Remus jerked in recognization.

"Just what in the bloody hell is he doing out behind Hagrid's hut?"

* * *

Harry had barely crossed the imaginary line between Hogwarts and the Forbidden Forest when his scar burst into pain. Experience, and bloody common sense, told him that one of two things were about to happen.

Harry would either have a vision of Voldemort, or the slimy bastard was trying to break into his mind. Again.

The absence of any flashing pictures and the sheer intensity of the pain told Harry that the Dark Lord was trying to enter his head, his mind, making the young wizard felt fear chill his spine.

'Blac-'

Instinctively the his mind slammed shut, like a draw bridge being pulled up. The imaginary sound echoed in his mind as the pain increased and Harry felt the stirrings of panic.

Voldemort knew the words, the phrase, that would turn the Boy-Who-Lived from his present state into a cold-blooded killer wiling to do whatever the sadistic Dark Lord told him to.

Harry distantly felt the cold, damp earth under his knees as the harsh sound of his panting breath filled his ears, battling against the noise for the rush of his blood through his veins. It felt like someone, three guesses who, was stabbing burning hot shards of glass through his brain at random then twisting them suddenly.

"Dammit, just leave me alone." Harry grit out between his clenched teeth, one hand fisted in the fabric of his pants, the other pressing palm first against the throbbing lightning bolt scar splashed across his forehead. Slytherin Harry growled at the idea of someone forcing their way back into Harry's head, countering Gryffindor Harry's desperate and forceful attempt at blocking the force with a calm and steady stream of strength.

Other than the clenched hand and the palm to his forehead, anyone passing by would have thought the Boy-Who-Lived was meditating or in some sort of sleep-like state, breathing slowly and deeply. The vague thought that this was an impressive feat crossed Harry's mind as he fought the intrusion. Prior mental attacks for the Dark Lord had usually resulted in the wizard finding himself dazed, confused and on his back, screaming bloody murder.

'Black Eme-'

Harry felt the stirrings of complete panic as Voldemort pushed at his mental barriers. Their connection was too strong to block completely and severing the link meant one of them had to die.

Harry wasn't ready to die, dammit!

'Black Emerald-'

Muscles stiffening at the command, Harry felt something inside him break- or fall into place, either way it hurt- as his fragile control on the presence in his mind that wasn't himself or Voldemort, broke.

Neurons were firing rapidly as they began to redirect themselves while gray matter finally began to reorder itself into a specific pattern that had never been seen naturally in the human brain.

The wall around Harry's mind was reinforced as a series of glowing green numbers replaced his thoughts, followed by odd...commands.

_'Access Violation. Foreign program located.'_

**'Black Emerald!'**

_'Bad command, invalid response.'_

'**Black Emerald I-'**

_'An error has occurred while reading your program. Access denied.'_

Th wizard felt his shields bending and flexing like some sort of durable plastic as Voldemort tried to break though. While Harry recognized this, the presence that had taken over treated the ordeal as if the Dark Lord were merely a hacker trying to gain access to his secure files.

At a draw, the glowing green numbers issued one last command.

_'Removing junk files. System shutdown in: Five. Four. Three. Two. One.'_

The world went black.

* * *

All in all, Heero Yuy thought he was having an extremely bad day.

The first sign of that day's impending disaster status had to have been the arrival of his current employer, _through the fireplace_ of Preventer Headquarters. Although none had known it, that little bit of action had thrown the Perfect Soldier for a loop. People were _not _supposed to suddenly step out of fireplaces with green flames- the very idea messed with his impeccable sense of logic.

Of course people weren't supposed to be able to do magic, or conjure things out of thin air either, so Heero was beginning to think that this logic business was severely over-rated.

With his impromptu foray into the Magical World, the ex-pilot had done what he did best and adapted; slowly but surely filed away observations about the Wizarding World, trying desperately to make some sort of sense of it as Heero's logic was dealt another blow in the form of his new charge.

Harry Potter was_ supposed_ to be a normal little boy, Voldemort and his magical status aside. He was supposed to be a typical and routine and solid presence, just like the mission. Heero knew these mission parameters well. Keep the boy healthy and alive and keep anyone remotely dangerous away. While he didn't want to be overly optimistic, Heero thought that taking care of this kid would be easy compared to guarding a spoiled, newly discovered Princess with the determined intentions to get into his pants.

Instead, Harry Potter turned out to be far from the little kid had already become in Heero's mind, and to top it of, the wizard seemed to have some sort of emotional breakdown only Quatre could understand. The pilot 01 had yet to determine if this was a good thing or not, as strange occurrences with pilot 04 usually resulted in the blowing up of friends and colonies.

So the kid wasn't so much a kid but more of a peer, that should have made the mission ...not necessarily easier but less complicated. Get Quatre and Duo to befriend him and gain his companionship. 02 and 04 were about the closest anyone in their group came to normal teenage behavior, according to Heero's previous observations, and were more than able to deal with Potter.

Instead, the other wizard turned out to be much more like, well _Heero_ himself, than the others. He was quiet, withdrawn and almost moody. And suspiciously quick with impressive reflexes and observational skills. He could actually dash and lay his hands on Duo Maxwell, sneak-theft extraordinare. Heero knew, from personal experience, that Duo was as quick as a frog on speed, a phrase he picked up from the braided pilot himself.

So Potter was not the typical teenager, that was completely understandable. What wasn't was that he seemed to harbor a warped desire to run from his bodyguards. This confused Heero to no end, especially since his only experience was with Relena Peacecraft. Wasn't Potter supposed to be clingy? Even a bit terrified of another abduction? The green-eyed wizard was neither.

While Relena had the nasty and annoying trait of finding Heero wherever he went, Harry seemed to be more inclined to run in the opposite direction. Back when he was fifteen, Heero would have given his laptop, his gun and any parts of Wing that weren't exactly necessary to have Relena run away from him. He saw the irony of the situation now as he glared at the man running across the Hogwarts Grounds before him.

They were stuck following a complete stranger, in unknown territory to find Potter and Heero was quite sure that days like this would become the norm here at Hogwarts.

The group was spread out in an arrowhead like formation, with the Professor having a slight lead on Heero as Duo and Wufei took the right side, Trowa and Quatre on the left. The Wing pilot chafed at letting anyone other than his four fellow pilots lead them anywhere the idea that it could very well be a trap had crossed his mind more than once since they'd set off towards Hagrid's hut. If it weren't for the fact that he had no idea where this place was, the blue-eyed pilot knew he'd be in the lead instead.

Eyes snapping around at the slightest movement or sound, Heero studied their new found accomplice with suspicion. The grounds of Hogwarts were massive, what with having to house a Quidditch Pitch, greenhouses and various other school related buildings and the Professor had yet to slow down, even once.

This display of strength contradicted the man's weary appearance making Heero wonder if _anyone_ was what they seemed anymore.

The low grumble from Duo about just how big the grounds were, a few curse words added in for effect, startled Heero out of his almost trance like state. Whether they could trust him or not had to be put aside if the man could actually help them find Potter. The sun was beginning to set.

Finally at the top of a large hill, the Professor paused and pointed towards a small little shack at the edge of the vast forest surrounding the castle and its grounds.

"That's Hagrid's. According to the map Harry's just behind there."

Filing away the thought that the older wizard didn't sound half as breathless as he should have, Heero surged forward, bypassing the stone staircase to doge the large boulders set up on the hill's decline. There was the beginnings of a startled yelp before Heero heard his friends follow.

Automatically his mind studied the sound of the foot falls behind him and placed them with the proper person. Trowa and Duo were nearly neck and neck behind him, followed by their mysterious tag-a-long, while Wufei and Quatre brought up the rear. Pilots 2 and 3 had longer legs than the others, allowing them to cover more ground quicker. Pilots 4 and 5 were not the taller of the bunch but had more stamina and could easily keep up with their partners but none of them were genetically modified, like Heero was, for speed, strength _and_ stamina.

The Japanese pilot reached the hut first and dashed around the corner, eyes peeled for their charge. He had to halt quickly to stop himself from tripping over the other teen who appeared to have collapsed on the ground just around the hut's corner.

Heero allowed the others to scan the area as he deafly check Potter over for injured. There wasn't a scratch on him.

"Harry!"

The startled cry from the Professor set him on edge and before anyone knew it, Heero had the man slammed back up against a wall again. He was surprised to find his usually superior strength challenged as the older wizard struggled against him.

Trowa began checking Potter out as well, having a better grasp on the medical side of things than Heero while Wufei and Duo kept watch on the area around them. Quatre gave the perimeter a quick scan before rushing over to try and pry Heero off their helper.

"Dammit let me go! That's my godson over there! I can help him!"

The man struggled fiercely, letting out a couple of growls that sounded remarkably real. Heero was a rock though and could not be easily moved by displays, emotional or otherwise.

Quatre put a pale hand on the other teen's shoulder, his grip more warning than reassuring as he spoke.

"Heero let the man go." When his taciturn companion failed to move the hand tightened briefly. "I hope I won't need to order you, Heero."

"It would be foolish to let him anywhere near Potter until his identity and loyalty can be confirmed." The Japanese wizard snapped at the blond, his grip never wavering not even when his prisoner kicked his shin viscously.

"He helped us find Harry. That's a step in the right direction." Quatre pointed out before whispering quietly to his friend. "And he's truly concerned for him. I can feel it."

The brief flicker of Heero's dark blue gaze was the only sign of his indecision and Outreach felt the sting of hurt at Heero's apparent distrust of him. The slight edge of irritation could be heard by the other pilots as the Winner heir spoke down their friend.

"It may have not always worked, Heero Yuy but my Space Heart has never been wrong. Let him go."

There was a seconds hesitation as Heero realized what he'd done before his hands let go of the older man and Trowa's voice spoke up.

"He's clear. There are no physical signs as to why he is unconscious."

The Professor slipped away from Heero's slack grasp to nearly throw himself down next to his godson. Gentle hands smoothed over the unresponsive teen's messy hair as the distraught man spoke to him softly.

"Harry? Harry, wake up. It's Moony. I'm here. I've come back to Hogwarts to teach again this year thanks to you. If you wake up I can tell you all about it."

The five Preventers were silent as the mysterious Moony spoke to Harry, hand sliding down to brush away the fringe that only partially covered the famous lightning bolt shaped scar. The wizard's comforting stream of promises was suddenly broken by a harsh curse. He went to pick Potter up but was stopped by Heero who beat him to it. Duo, knives poised to throw his eyes still scanning the dense forest spoke up.

"Guys whatever's wrong with him will have to wait until we get the hell outta dodge. It isn't smart to stay out here like this for too long, 'specially with one of our own taking a dirt nap. Grab the kid and let's scatter."

Trowa rose his gun again and kept to Heero's side since the shorter pilot had his arms full. Remus picked up the wand he'd dropped, when the boy had slammed him into the wall, and stayed at his godson's side as well. Quatre spoke up.

"What's the matter with him, Mr. Moony?"

The Professor quickly pulled back Harry's bangs to reveal the now angry red scar on the boy's forehead before speaking in hushed tones just loud enough for the five teens to hear him.

"Harry's scar is an active link from his mind to Voldemort's." He glanced around the group as if waiting for some kind of response before continuing. "The connection has been growing stronger ever since Harry has re-entered the magical world. A few times before Voldemort's rebirth he would have visions of some of the heinous acts the Dark Lord would do. Since his rebirth, Voldemort has tried many times to force his way into Harry's mind, through their link."

Wufei's voice cracked with suppressed anger. "That's- that's practically a form of mind-rape." He nearly hissed dangerously. No one looked happy at the thought.

"We've tried to help him," Moony said, looking at his godson sadly. "-but the link is to strong, too deep. It _was_ forged with the death of one of them after all."

"Really?" Duo asked, surprise coloring his voice. Moony shot them all a confused look at the various expression on the other's faces. Quatre met his gaze steadily.

"We don't exactly know the whole story behind Harry and this Voldemort fellow."

Professor Moony groaned slightly before giving Heero a sharp look.

"Hurry up then. We need to get him to Poppy Pomfrey, Hogwarts Medi-nurse."

The trip back didn't seem to take nearly as long as the run out, but it was a relief to finally be back inside the stone walls of the school with their charge. Potter hadn't stirred at all on the jarring journey back, not even when Heero began to climb the stone stairway back up the hill, causing Trowa to regularly check his pulse and breathing.

For the second time in less than an hour, Heero found himself following the shabby looking wizard before him, this time being lead towards the Hospital Wing- the very place they had suggested Potter go earlier that day when he'd nearly broken Duo's wrist.

He scowled slightly at the thought.

The Hospital Wing was guarded by a set of double doors, strong and tall, if the five ex-pilots were any judge of doors, but Moony pushed them open without breaking a sweat.

The noise of the doors creaking open brought a plump, matronly-looking woman bustling out from her office, her face set in a frown. Her attire seemed to startle Duo for a moment, as Heero vaguely recognized the pure white robes and headdress as having a subtle catholic nun feeling to them.

"Remus, what on Earth-" She began to speak, her voice clear and strong before the Professor cut her off.

"I'm terribly sorry Poppy, but Harry's had another attack."

Poppy's eyes snapped over to see the limp body in Heero's arms before she dove into action.

"Set him down over there. Gently now." She said with a gesture towards one of the closer cots. Heero did as he was bid, stepping back slightly and putting his gun away. He was close enough to Potter now that anything coming after the other messy haired wizard would have to go through him or the other four first.

Poppy was already at one of the large cabinets stationed all around the Wing, shooting questions out at Moony with a professionally clam voice.

"How along ago was the attack? Did it last very long? Did he seize, or was there an abnormal bleeding?"

"I've no clue, Poppy." The Professor confessed, looking grim. "We just found him out behind Hagrid's hut, just before the Forbidden Forest."

The Medi-witch turned to glare at the wizard.

"What do you mean you've no clue! Albus was by just a couple of hours ago to tell me of the arrangement between Harry and these five and- Dear Merlin why do these children have guns!?"

Wufei was gingerly putting his katana back in its sheath at the older witch's outburst. Duo and Quatre quickly stuffed their weapons out of sight. Trowa leisurely flicked the safety back on before putting his gun in an easily accessible place, his face expressionless.

For a moment, Poppy was silent as she looked at the five of them before an angry flush stained her cheeks and she opened her mouth to rant.

She didn't get a word in as suddenly Harry's emerald eyes snapped open and the Hospital Wing exploded into action.

_

* * *

__'Computer now booting from operating system.'_

_'System has recovered from a serious error.'_

Noise. There was noise. Too much of it. Someone was talking.

_Stress levels: High. _

_Presence of seven threats detected. _

_Danger: Extreme High. _

_Surroundings: Insert further data. _

_Possibility of Escape: eighty percent. _

_Location: Requires further data._

Glowing emerald eyes snapped open to see white walls and a bright light beating down into his eyes. Immediately images of a similar room and memories of pain and fear scrolled across his vision.

**_'Please don't. It hurts. Make it stop. Makeitstopmakeitstopmakeitstop. No more!'_**

_Danger detected._

Shadows loomed over him, details blocked out by the bright lights.

_Suggested Course of Action: Escape at Whatever Cost_

Before anyone could react, the stainless steel tray that had been set by the cot was sent flying by Harry's foot. It connected with a solid smack to Wufei's face, followed by a litany of curses, most in another language.

_'Direct hit to 05.'_

In a flash Harry rolled to the left and off his cot before kicking out again and pushing his cot into the legs of Trowa and Heero, making the taller of the two let out a sharp hiss of pain.

_'Direct hit to 01 and 03.'_

Duo and Quatre blinked at the scene before crouching into a defensive stance in perfect harmony. Harry stalked his way towards the doors, almost frantic to escape. Duo leapt at him.

_'02 and 04 approaching.'_

_'Engaging 02.'_

Harry let Duo attempt to tackle him before grabbing his injured wrist and using the boy's momentum send him flying into the wall behind him.

_'02 disabled.'_

Quatre ducked the first punch thrown at him, jumping back beside Trowa as the taller fighter grabbed the kick Harry had aimed at his lover, making the wizard loose his balance suddenly.

Moony gapped at the scene of his godson's five apparent bodyguards now fighting off their charge in horror. He called out to the boy.

"Harry! Harry stop!"

Heero had somehow ended up behind Harry as he fell backwards, wrapping his arms around the other teen tightly. Unafraid to play dirty, Harry smashed his fist into the Japanese boy's crotch and was quickly released before grabbing another tray and jamming it into Wufei's midsection.

The Chinese Preventer cursed. "Why is he smacking me around with all the trays in here, dammit!"

_'03, 04 and 02 attacking. Eliminate.'_

Poppy whipped out her wand, preparing to curse the whole lot of them for fighting in her Hospital Wing when Remus grabbed her arm.

"Some thing's wrong with him, Poppy. You couldn't get a clear shot even if you wanted to." Quickly the werewolf turned back towards the scene.

"Harry James Potter stop! Harry! This isn't you!"

The Boy-Who-Lived had just landed a clean blow to Trowa's jaw when Remus' voice cut through the hazy of numbers and commands in his mind, becoming superimposed with another voice, screaming frantically.

_"_"_Harry, this isn't you! Remember, Hogwarts? Remember Cedric! This man killed Cedric."_

With a choked sob, Harry pushed away from the fight, tripping over Duo, who he'd just tripped himself, to crab craw back between two cots. The five Preventers didn't move, each still poised for attack as Harry sat curled up with his hands over his ears, crying. Shaking his head he gasped.

"No, no stop this! Stop it!"

Remus inched closer, his wand gripped tightly in his sweaty hand as he looked at his godson, trembling in the corner. This image was a far-cry from the show he'd just seen. His eyes widened as the hand Harry suddenly pushed against his forehead shook violently. Swallowing he called out.

"Harry?"

The boy in question jerked at the name before letting out a frustrated half yell, startling his five bodyguards.

"My name is not HARRY!"

Poppy gasped in unison with Quatre while Duo gave a soft "What the hell..."

Remus felt fear flash through his veins as he stared at the trembling teen before them. His voice shook slightly as he spoke.

"Then who are you?"

Harry sucked in a deep breath and let it out, the noise sounding like a dying sob. Shaking his head slowly from side to side, eyes still closed he answered.

"I don't know."

A tremor visibly went through the emerald-eyed wizard's body before his eyes blinked open and he looked right up at his father's friend. They were dark jade again, weary and guarded.

"I'm so tired Moony."

The sentence was whispered softly before Harry suddenly slumped back against the wall, unconscious once more.

* * *

The Hospital Wing was silent after Harry's sudden awakening and consequent reintroduction back to the world of the unconscious. Quatre held an ice-pack to his lover's bruised jaw as Poppy weaved her way around her cleaned Wing, making potions. Duo had broken a large stock pile of her pain-killers when Harry had thrown him into the wall.

The braided young man was currently sitting beside his own lover, his previously broken wrist stuck in a stiff harness as the bone knit itself back together. Wufei was nursing a swelled nose and bruised stomach from the fight as he cleaned the dried blood off his face.

Remus sat next to his godson again, his shoulders slumped sadly as he stared at the sleeping boy. Heero stood on the other side few the cot, his own gaze boring into his charge, as if he could gain the answers to his questions by drilling his eyes into Harry's head.

Finally someone spoke.

"I don't know about anyone else but I'd sure as hell like some questions answered. Let's start with how Harry went from friendly, quiet boy-hero to the Terminator reborn."

The Medi-nurse paused slightly before continuing her potion-making, apparently punishing Remus by leaving him with the important questions.

The werewolf shot her a look but sighed in resignation. Running a tired hand through his graying blond hair he spoke.

"I'm not sure what happened. He's never reacted like that to an attack before. It was almost like he didn't know where he was."

"He didn't even know himself." Wufei pointed out gruffly, his voice muffled by the bloody cloth held to his nose.

Quatre gently pulled the icepack away from Trowa's face to survey the dark bruise forming there as he spoke.

"Could this maybe have something to do with Harry's capture and imprisonment by Voldemort and not by the attack?" Six pairs of eyes flashed his way in contemplation as the blond continued. "This is the second time today Harry has responded with violence from a...blackout of sorts."

"Second time!?" Remus and Madam Pomfrey exclaimed, the former looking at the sleeping boy in worry as the latter glared at her new Seventh Years.

"Why wasn't he sent to me immediately? With his medical history, Harry needs to be treated for a bloody splinter!"

"He said he was fine." Heero's low voice broke through anything Wufei was about to muffle out, making the others shoot him a look. "He's eyes were clear, he was steady on his feet and came to by himself."

"There is one thing you need to understand about Harry Potter," the Medi-nurse said, her voice frosty with anger. "And its that that boy would say he was fine if he walked into my Wing holding his severed head."

Obviously irritated, Poppy spun on her feet and smoothly dished out her Pain Reliever Potion into five goblets. The ones for Heero and Quatre were noticeably smaller, the both of them having sustained no injuries in the dog fight.

Wufei balked at having to take a potion for his pain.

"This pain is nothing! I've dealt with worse before I an certainly deal with this now, and without any strange concoctions running through my system."

Madam Pomfrey turned out to be made of stronger stuff than Wufei's stung pride. "Just because you can deal with it Mr. Chang, don't mean you should."

The Chinese Preventer finally relented when the stern witch threatened to tie him to his cot and keep him under observation overnight. Duo teasingly commented on how fast Wufei could swallow, causing his lover to blush and send him a scathing look.

Pain-free and more wary than before, the other four Preventers joined Heero and Remus around Harry's bed. There was a quiet moment of contemplation before Trowa abruptly spoke up.

"What about MPD?"

Quatre shot him a look. "Multiple Personality Disorder? Why would you say that?"

"Its a mental illness characterized by anxiety, fluctuating level of function, time distortions and lapses such as amnesia, post traumatic stress, sleeping disorders and physical pains such has headaches. Most of which Potter has displayed just this afternoon."

Duo gave their tall friend a funny look. "Tro-man, have you been reading the medical encyclopedia again?" The question was asked in the same tone someone with a disobedient puppy would ask if said pet had chewed up the newspapers again.

Remus ignored him to look at Trowa. "The same could be said of many mental disorders and most caused by magic as well. Patients who have had their minds altered by Memory Charms experience the exact same symptoms, as well as a tendency towards forgetfulness."

Trowa's expression didn't change but everyone could hear the gears turning in his mind. "He also does not refer to himself in the third person or as 'we'. Hm."

"Guys something stinks here like spoiled Parmesan cheese." Duo growled. "We were hired to protect a kid who can suddenly protect himself?"

"Begs the question of exactly who we're protecting." Wufei said softly. "Potter or the people around Potter."

Remus bit back at growl at those words, forcing his mind to think logically about Wufei's words. A part of him was furious that anyone could think Harry was dangerous, something that needed to be watched in case he hurt someone. This his mind brought up the Harry he'd seen, with his own eyes just hours ago, fight with his bodyguards and Remus couldn't help but think that maybe Harry did need to be watched.

"What is the trigger? Why now?" the werewolf said suddenly, startling the five out of their own conversation. "You said he had collapsed earlier- was there any hint of this...violent intent before?"

Duo waved his wrapped wrist in a mock 'hello gesture. "Let's just say I'm a lot stronger than I look and this baby here is the work of multiple attempts."

Remus just stared at the braided wizard until Heero let out a sound that seemed to be a cross between a growl, a grunt and his own personalized 'hn'.

"We need more information- there are too many unknown variables still. Too many unanswered questions for us to competently protect Potter." He looked at Remus and the old Professor felt a shiver at just how much those eyes reminded him of Sirius. "Start talking."

"About what?" Remus asked, slightly taken back. "I highly doubt I know anymore than you do. Dumbledore is the only one with all the information and he only tells people what he thinks they need to know."

The last part was said with no attempt at disguising the bitterness in the Professor's voice, making Quatre raise his eyebrows. He gave their new informer a shrewd look.

"I thought the Light side of this war was an alliance between allies, not the heirachy of followers and leaders."

Remus let out a short mirthless laugh. "You'll soon learn that the only difference between our side and theirs is the color of our robes."

Trying to bend his wrist, Duo sighed before looking up at his friends. "Guys, why don't we just go up to the guy and tell him we want our questions answered or we'll kneecap him." At Wufei's and Quatre's glares the American shrugged. "Or we can threaten to walk. If he refuses, we ask him why he won't squeal."

"Simply, Mr. Maxwell, because most of it is not my story to tell." A voice said from the Hospital Wing door.

For the second time in less than twenty four hours, Albus Dumbledore found himself with five weapons pointed at him. He smiled in a grandfatherly sort of way at them, his eyes twinkling madly at Heero's frustrated expression. "Don't worry Mr. Yuy. I have had many decades of practice at being silent and the help of an extremely old castle."

Almost as if demonstrating his strange ability, the Headmaster swept silently into the Wing, his smile fading into a grave expression. "What happened?"

The five Preventers looked at Remus, who vaguely wondered why it was his day to be the bearer of bad news.

"He had an attack this afternoon."

Dumbledore looked at the night sky, his light blue gaze turning back to his Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. "Harry usually awakens not long after his visions, Remus."

"He had a...moment after he woke up."The werewolf bit off, obviously not in the mood to rehash the day's events. His five new students appeared to be not so chatty all of a sudden.

"A moment you say?" Dumbledore repeated, looking down at the sleeping wizard between them all in contemplation. Slowly his eyes rotated around at the boy's bedside companions. "What happened here?"

"Harry's moment." quipped Duo, his grin more a a smirk. Two bushy, gray eyebrows rose as the Headmaster thought about that phrase. "Indeed. What does Poppy say on the matter?"

"Potter is exhausted and will wake in the morning, late morning by the latest." Wufei reluctantly ground out, feeling the weird urge to keep as much information to himself as possible. Albus Dumbledore had suddenly become someone to be wary of.

"Just enough time for the five of you to finish your studies."

"With all due respect, Headmaster." Quatre said brightly, looking like the polite young man he usually was. "I thought our mission here was to protect Harry, first and foremost."

the old wizard nodded in agreement. "Yes, but you cannot do that to the best of your ability without completing your studies before the term starts."

"Potter should not be left alone." Trowa declared softly, making Remus jump. He had forgotten the tall youth was even there.

Dumbledore gave a small chuckle. "You are certainly dedicated. Remus here will no doubt stay by his godson's side tonight, or at least long enough for you all to go and get your books. I'm sure Poppy wouldn't mind the company."

There was a deep tension between the five ex-pilots and Remus against Dumbledore's suggestion. No one wanted to move, to comply with the old man's wishes but somehow felt that any direct rebellion would be dangerous. Then Heero spoke roughly.

"We'll take shifts. By pairs. I'll take first with the Professor."

Duo poked Wufei in the arm. "Me and Fei's got second shift."

"Trowa and I will take last." Quatre seemed very relieved at Heero's plan of action, grinning brightly at the Japanese wizard.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore praised, looking from teen to teen. "if you go now and get your things for the night, Remus and I will keep watch until you return."

Heero shot Remus a look that the sandy haired wizard interpreted as 'you had better stay right there or else'. He returned it with what he hoped said 'duh'.

The five bodyguards moved reluctantly away from eh bed, each giving Dumbledore's cheery face a glance as they passed.

"Harry would most appreciate a change of clothes as well, I suspect." Remus called back to them. A wry grin stretched across his face. "I would go get him some myself but i haven't a clue where his new rooms are."

Heero gave the man a smirk before following the others out the doors at a brisk pace. He obviously wished to return as soon as possible.

Turning around, Remus was a bit startled to find the Headmaster staring intently at Harry's sleep-slack face. The old man's next question was a bit odd as well.

"Is he unconscious, Remus my boy?"

The Professor blinked before answering. "No. Poppy says it more of a deep sleep. Not complete unconsciousness but as close to it as possible. Not even our talking has registered on the monitoring spells in place on him."

Dumbledore 'hmm'ed before grabbing the curtain that hung from the ceiling and jerked it across . Harry's still body was momentarily blocked from view.

"You missed the meeting of the Order tonight. One of Voldemort's active bases has been located in the French countryside. I had a pleasant visit with Madam Maxime today to discuss her joining of the Order..."

With the curtain pulled across Harry's bed, neither wizard saw the flutter of jade eyes or the flash of glowing emerald numbers as slowly a pale hand came up to stroke the newly acquired necklace around Harry's neck. The eyes of the phoenix pendant nestled on his throat glowed green in the darkening Hospital Wing. No one noticed the Boy-Who-Lived as he listened and new information began to scroll across his mind.

Monitoring spells never even beeped as the five Preventers returned and the curtain was pulled back to reveal the still sleeping wizard.

* * *

A/N: Please review! Remember, for every review not written, Dumbledore feeds Harry an Aging Potion in one if his Lemon Drops and they run away to Aruba together. -shudders-

Thanks for the reviews and for being patient with me!

Sparkley-tangerine


	7. The Beginnings of Revenge

A/N: Sorry for the long wait BUT I've transferred into a different department at work- which is more like three departments at once- so I'm still training for that. I had about three pages of this wrote when I lost my …mojo for this particular fic and took a bit of a break. THEN I entered mintapotter's Drabble competition…and placed second. Go me!

So here's an update and I'm trying to get the next chapter of Pretty Little Lies out sometimes in the next two weeks.

* * *

Chapter Seven: The Beginnings of Revenge

One week.

Hogwarts had been in session for one week and already Harry felt as though he were going mad. If something didn't give, and soon, the Boy-Who-Lived was going to end up killing someone.

Really.

The presence, Zero-what Harry had ended up calling the weird whisper in his mind for some strange reason- had gleefully shown him that he was a danger to the people around him. He'd been a moment away from simply disabling his five Preventer bodyguards to killing them when Remus had interrupted him in the Hospital Wing.

Which brought up a whole other bunk load of problems the teenage wizard did not want to face.

Whatever had happened, whatever experimentation Voldemort had done on him, Harry knew he was irrevocably changed. This Dr. J had taken the innocent part of Harry James Potter and brutally clubbed it to death before reprogramming him into this robotic version of a ruthless killer, one that had some sort of wonky numbers program predicting dangers and enemies left and right. And while Gryffindor Harry was one tenacious little bugger at the best of times, he knew that without Slytherin Harry's iron-clad control, he would have lost his tentative hold over it before now.

Waking up in the Hospital Wing the next day had been a trial and a half for Harry, having to face up to his strange behavior in the cold morning light. Gryffindor Harry had cringed violently at the large bruise still trying to fade away on Wufei's face. The action had not gone un-noticed and seemed to soften the five Preventers into believing that Harry still had no recollection of his missing month or the day before. Trowa and Heero were their regular stone-faced selves but for the past week everyone seemed to want to forget the moment in the Hospital Wing had ever happened.

Slytherin Harry scoffed at them in disgust. Couldn't they tell that Harry's confusion near the end hadn't been a wipe but a reboot instead?

Slytherin Harry had then commented on how stupidity like that would get them killed. Gryffindor Harry slapped his counterpart into a stunned, blissful silence.

While talking about 'Harry's Moment' wasn't the favorite 'To Do' on the list, the repercussions of it were making the jade-eyed wizard wish harshly that he were back in Voldemort's hold. One of his five bodyguards was always at his side-_always_. Harry had not-so-politely told Heero where he could go when the Japanese wizard had tried to follow him into one of the washroom stalls on the first day of classes. Trowa and Wufei were always, _always_ awake in the mornings when he left his dorm-the one shared with Heero- while Duo and Quatre seemed to have some sort of freakishly annoying night-owl tendencies.

The constant supervision had put a serious cramp in his plans for the base Dumbledore had mentioned when he believed Harry to be too far gone to listen in. Harry knew that base- inside and out. He'd been there once as Emerald. Whatever information Snape had given Dumbledore would barely scratch the surface of what Harry knew of Voldemort and his strongholds.

Dumbledore wanted to watch the base, maybe even send someone in to scope it out before setting the Aurors on it.

Harry wanted to blow it up.

There a slight difference in the plans it seemed, but Harry's wouldn't matter much if he couldn't get out from under the notice of his five watchdogs.

True, he had some time before the Order even began to make a move but Heero, Trowa and Duo especially, were still on high alert. Wufei didn't seem to care much for him and Quatre had some sort of creepy sixth sense that allowed him to keep a constant eye on Harry.

Until they let their guard down again, all he could do was bide his time and plan.

Worse, in some ways, than his five shadows was the time Harry spent with Ron and Hermione. The couple had just _discovered _their feelings for each other, making them skittish and awkward to be around. Ron blushed at random times for no reason at all- Harry ignored the numbers at the back of his mind telling him exactly what Ron was thinking and how those thoughts were affecting his body-ew- and Hermione was more girly than usual.

She was also, Harry had come to find, very suspicious of him.

The bushy-haired witch still had her head buried in as many books about memory loss as possible. She would ask sudden questions about Harry's state of mind- questions that would make Zero's numbers run and re-assess her threat score.

It was late one September evening, as Harry ignored Ron and Hermione's bickering about homework- and the hovering of his five bodyguards all throughout the library- that he found the answer.

Its simplicity stunned Harry for a moment before Zero started calculating the probability of success and mapping out a plan of action.

Mandrake leaves, when burned, gave off an odorless gas that put its victims in a deep, dream-filled sleep.

…if you weren't immune.

Harry ran a diagnostics over his improvements since Dr. J and bit back a smirk as an immunity to Mandrakes popped up. He had a plan, immunity and an innocent face. Now all he needed were Mandrake leaves.

That required a trip to Greenhouse three.

* * *

It took a week to get the leaves as Herbology Class was the only time Harry could realistically be near the Greenhouses without having his five shadows hovering worriedly. Or annoyingly. Or suspiciously. Or grudgingly.

Madame Sprout had brought the Seventh Years back to Greenhouse Three to study the Venomous Tentacula- which had finally finished teething after nearly five years. While everyone else had been busy trying to escape the plant's spiky branches, Harry had taken advantage of Zero and used its ability to predict the Tentacula's movements- and the general panic- to snatch a few Mandrake leaves off of the new sproutlings sitting in the tray.

Neville had ended up unconscious from the resulting screech but best of all Harry bodyguards were none the wiser of his thieving ways.

It was Thursday night, with just under an hour left until curfew, and the messy-haired wizard was waiting patiently for the word from Zero to burn the leaves.

Wufei had dragged Duo off to the library, under the guise of retrieving books for their Potions assignments. Harry knew they had actually gone off to snog in the back of the book shelves- a popular place for couples to hide.

Quatre, and obviously Trowa, had left just moments ago to raid the kitchens for a tray of tea for the whole group. Harry had no doubt of the blond's sincere intentions but predicted Trowa would 'accidentally' distract his lover from his 'mission'.

Or at least Zero was ninety-five point seven percent sure of that course of action on the tall wizard's part, but Harry had found there to always be a slight margin of error with the program no matter what the prediction.

Either way, that left him sitting in an almost heavy silence with the mysteriously handsome Heero Yuy. The Japanese wizard was unbearably intriguing to both Harry and Zero- the latter seeming to find the other teen familiar in a strange sort of way.

Harry found it….amazing that someone so imposing, so intense, so stand-offish could be friends with Duo and Quatre without making things awkward. Or with the mercurial Wufei without the two of them at each other's throats. Only his friendship with Trowa- and it sometimes seemed like the only thing those two did was smirk or grunt at each other- was a bit understandable.

Of course, there were moments when Harry felt that if anyone were able to understand how he felt- what he'd been through- it would be Heero. If he _ever_ believed someone to find out his secret it would be _him_.

At the moment, Heero sat directly across from the jade-eyed wizard, his own blue gaze kept sternly on the book before him, his back to the wall and every line in his body screaming 'TENSION'.

The fireplace crackled, making the teen twitch almost unnoticeably. Harry smirked. Heero was nervous around him- interesting.

The Gryffindor looked up at his solitary bodyguard, keeping his face blank in an innocently curious sort of way as he spoke.

"Can I ask you a question? You needn't answer if it be too personal."

Heero visibly jerked at Harry's soft spoken inquiry. His blue eyes shot up from his book, roaming the room, assessing everything as inconsequential or a threat before replying.

"Hn."

Here Harry cocked his head to the side, feeling a mite teasing.

"Hn. What does that mean?" At Heero's blank stare he continued. "Is it a yes? Or a no? An 'I-Don't-Care'? Perhaps it's a veiled death threat."

Heero shot him what Duo claimed to be a patented Heero Yuy Glare of Death. **Grrr.** Harry marveled that the simple narrowing of Heero's oddly expressive and completely blank eyes could tell so much about the other's mood.

He, Harry James Potter, was quickly beginning to irritate Heero Yuy.

"Never mind that- it's not really my question and I have the feeling I'll only get one with you."

Those dark blue eyes narrowed just a fraction more, and Zero gave warning for him to hurry the hell up.

"How did you become a Preventer at such a young age? All five of you actually. It's rather obvious that you are close and used to working together but I know you can't be more than a year older than me."

Heero didn't look away from Harry as they sat in silence, the fire burning between them. It almost felt as though Heero were reading him, seeing if Harry was worthy- or rather_ trustworthy_- of knowing the truth behind their easy camaraderie.

Then he blinked and shifted his eyes back down to his book.

"You're right- it's too personal. Do your work."

Harry bristled at the order, fighting the urge to comply as well as the one to simply toss his book at Heero's head for being so….Heero. When in doubt, give out orders.

A sudden thought struck his mind, making Harry freeze in realization.

Heero was a bloody control freak.

Everything was meant to work by his master plan or not at all- as the alarm clock in their room that had run a bit too fast had found out. Heero had given them rules without anyone questioning it, or even noticing for that matter. And when things did not go as plan they were either forced or eliminated in such a way that only the ever cool, logical Heero Yuy could achieve.

No wonder Zero liked him so much- they were cut from the same damn fabric.

Gryffindor Harry wondered in sulkily if Heero was part computer as well. Zero automatically filled his mind with the make-believe image of Heero plugging himself in every night before bed. Harry's own surprise at seeing the image and an almost playful side of Zero overshadowed his awareness of the other four arriving.

"Does not compute..." Harry muttered to himself, knowing full well that Heero was not in any way robotic. Robots weren't that damn hot.

A loud voice behind him nearly had the jade-eyed wizard trying to jam his quill through the speaker's eye.

"Does not compute? You've only spent two hours alone with Heero and already he's rubbing off on you!" Duo's tone was teasing but his quick eyes caught Harry's form tensing.

"I can't seem to get the wording of my potions essay correct." Harry lied, crunching up another ball of parchment and tossing it into the fire-pile. He already had the leaves rolled into a different parchment ball that was stuffed in his pocket- now all he had to do was make enough scrapes to require a mass trip to the fire place and the Mandrake leaves would do the rest.

Quatre smiled at him kindly. "What are you writing about? Perhaps I could help."

Harry made a face that wasn't entirely faked- he really did hate Potions if only now because the many possible futures seemed to be conspiring to give him a headache.

"The theories behind using a bezor in the Wolfsbane Potion."

Quatre blinked. "Um, perhaps you would be better off without my help in this one."

Harry glared at his blank essay. "I suppose this is my fault for letting Professor McGonagall know I had the passing thought of becoming an Auror."

"Passing thought?" Duo and Quatre stereo-ed, sounding surprised. Wufei lowered his book as Trowa raised a silent eyebrow. Even Heero paused in his reading to look at their charge.

Harry nodded. "I was fifteen when I made the hesitant suggestion and I didn't have a psychopathic Dark Lord hell bent on killing only me on his trip to world domination. Of course, the Auror program only accepts the best of the best. So my graduating with top marks is based on my graduating which is then based on my surviving the war."

Wufei snorted. "Not the most optimistic are you Potter?"

Harry frowned at him. "I'm simply being realistic. Voldemort has been trying to kill me ever since I was old enough to totter around. He's made Merlin knows how many attempts on my life since then and successfully kidnapped me mere months ago. Logically, the next blow should kill me."

Heero nodded slowly seeming surprised that Harry could use logic. "Logically. You failed to factor in our presence as well."

"Hey, we're here to even the odds!" Duo said, the downer mood disappearing. "Plus, Heero here never fails a mission." He pointed a finger in Harry's direction dramatically. "And you, Harry Potter, are the mission."

"Congratulations." Trowa added drolly. Quatre chuckled and Wufei hid a smirk. Harry shot them a half-hearted glare as he stood to drop his parchment scraps, stogging a few pieces in his robes.

Turning towards the fire he noticed, with part amusement part shock, that Heero seemed to be fighting a raging blush on his cheeks. Slytherin Harry cackled.

"So you no longer hold the ambition to become an Auror." Quatre said, returning to the main point of the conversation. "What else would you like to do?"

Harry, tossing the Mandrake-Leaf-filled-parchment ball into the fire, shrugged. "I think I'm starting to hate living in the Wizarding World."

The words were whispered but seemed to echo through the room. Harry seemed to drift off, lost in his own thoughts as he spoke. "Everyone knows my name, thinks they know me and judge me by these impossible standards. And then, when I finally let them down, it's shock and horror and 'how could you do this to us?!' all around. I'm sick to _death_ of that."

The fire crackled in the following silence as the five ex-pilots contemplated the confession. First hand experience had taught them that the world was a fickle place and the people could love you in one breath and call for your blood in the next. Even those you were fighting to protect.

Harry returned to his seat in their silence and started up another copy of his essay- easily getting the words to come together this time.

Quatre was the first to slip, his cooling cup of tea spilling across the rug. Trowa caught him before the blond could even slide out of his seat as Duo yelped. Harry surged forward to join the circle around his kind-hearted bodyguard as Wufei made to stand and nearly fell to the floor.

Heero pulled out a gun, stepping in front of Harry. Zero piped up at how unusually trusting that move was- Harry had proven himself to be dangerous. Duo grabbed Wufei around the waist, pulling a large hunting knife out from behind his back. He looked at Heero and Trowa- who seemed to be fading just as fast as Wufei.

"What's going on here?"

Heero's eyes were flickering around the room for threats as Wufei sagged completely in his lover's arms and Trowa flopped over onto Quatre's chest. Harry pulled out his wand and ducked around his over-protective protector.

He touched Trowa's, then Quatre's necks and reported back to the obvious leader.

"They're got strong pulses and their breathing is even and clear. Except for being unresponsive I'd say they were asleep."

Duo snorted. "What they're suddenly narcoleptic?"

"Drugs." Heero said flatly as he watched Duo sway. The braided wizard put Wufei down gently, shaking his head violently as he stood.

"This is some freaking good gas then. Even I'm getting fuzzy."

Harry sat back on the couch, trying to appear dizzy as he stared at Heero. The guy was steady as a rock. If this didn't work on him, Harry's plan was shot to hell.

Duo's knees shook as he sank to the floor.

"Get him out of here man. Before it gets you too."

Harry jumped up. "I'll go get help!"

"No!" Heero turned to grab him again as his last friend slipped into unconsciousness- and stumbled under the affects of the leaves.

Zero calculated the time it would take to make the stubborn Japanese wizard fall as Harry let out a very Slytherin-like smirk.

"So you aren't immune to the affects of Mandrake leaves after all." He said, smirk widening at Heero's shocked expression. "I was beginning to worry about that."

"You did this?!" He nearly growled, staggering towards his charge. Harry nodded, raising his wand.

"It's harmless- does nothing but put you into a deep, dreamless sleep- but you're taking much too long to succumb. I'd like to help you."

Harry sent a stunner at his remaining bodyguard and caught the teen before he fell. He didn't want to hurt them, not at all. Both Zero and Harry actually liked the five Preventers- they had spunk. Unfortunately they were in his way right now and he needed to be as unsuspicious as possible.

Dragging Heero over to his friends, Harry patted his cheek gently. "Don't worry. When you awake, you'll have no memory of this."

Pulling out his Invisibility Cloak- which he had hidden under his robes at Zero's suggestion- Harry ran over his plan again, looking for potential problems.

Ron and Hermione would be down tomorrow after breakfast to see if their castle-bound friend wanted anything from Hogsmeade. They were currently on a study date- one Harry helped orchestrate. Dumbledore and Remus were occupied with an order meeting tonight as well- not that they knew that Harry knew this of course. Curfew had officially passed nearly twenty minutes ago, ensuring no one else who had made friends with the five new students would attempt to pay a visit.

Harry cast a warming spell over his companions, threw another log on the fire as well as the last of the Mandrake Leaves, before slipping on his cloak and leaving the room.

* * *

Vulcan Mulciber was not a happy Death Eater.

His lord had just left the base, putting it under his order so that he could continue the war back on British soil.

Vulcan kicked a stone off the 'path' over-looking the base with a curse. He didn't _want_ to be commander of this base- every one of these wizards were the worst France had to offer. A bunch of idiots obsessed with the Dark Arts and barely enough brains to wave a wand- combined.

And it was his responsibility to turn them into respectable- in a very skewed sense of the word- Death Eaters and not let them blow up the base.

Almost as soon as those words crossed his mind, the ground below his feet shook suddenly. Thump. Thump. Thump.

Footsteps, the panicked Death Eater realized as he tried to catch his balance and run back to the base. Whatever it was would be driven back by the wards and the Fidileus Charm around the base. Right?

Running down the slight incline, Vulcan was brought to a complete halt as a large, black shape materialized from nowhere, next to the base. A long thin object was gripped in what Vulcan could only assume was its hand. It had the shape of a sword, now that he thought about it. Large black wings flexed- almost as though the creature were annoyed.

Still frozen with fear, the Death Eater let out a small sigh as the giant creature turned its head around the clearing, looking lost. At least it didn't know where the base was.

Vulcan watched in growing awe as the monster stepped out into the moonlight, the silvery beams making the black of the creature glow a dark emerald almost black color.

Black Emerald……

A sinking feeling accompanied the rolling fear in his stomach as he realized what he was seeing. That was no monster- that was Black Emerald and Phoenix. The moonbeams flashed red against those huge angelic wings that gave the Gundam its name.

The sword rose to be gripped by the Gundam's two hands and he wondered if Emerald even knew of this base. Wouldn't the protections keep him out now that he had gotten away?

No sooner had that thought crossed his mind did the sword in Phoenix's hands glow that dark emerald-black color and tore through layers of wards and blood magics and into the eastern side of the base.

Explosions rocked the ground this time, sending Vulcan tumbling on to the rocks. He watched in horror as the duo his Lord had planned on using to destroy Dumbledore and his Army eliminated one of their best bases and attacked the lousy Death Eaters that escaped.

One idiot was even desperate enough to shoot a stunner at the Gundam's legs.

Realizing this was a lost cause, Mulciber made to run past the anti-apparation charms.

He never made it as the popping of the French Auror's was the only warning he had before a binding spell caught his legs.

His Lord was not going to be pleased.

* * *

Harry turned on Phoenix's invisibility cloak as he hovered over the crater that used to be one of Voldemort's bases. Pieces of burning foundation and walls scattered over the French countryside and Aurors crawled over the site like little beetles from his view inside the Gundam.

Zero was still scrolling information and stats across his mind as he spread Phoenix's invisible wings and started the flight home.

Mission accomplished.

Zero reminded him to run a systems check on his Gundam before returning to his rooms. Phoenix might have been built superior to anything ever made but it would be careless and inefficient to not keep her in perfect condition.

Gryffindor Harry surfaced from behind his hands- they had covered his face when Phoenix was transfigured in the Forbidden Forest. Harry felt his hands want to shake but Slytherin Harry held them still as Zero- who was just the deeper part of the bad side of Harry's mind- told Gryffindor Harry to calm down.

Pale and shaking Gryffindor Harry was still stubborn.

_'Do you realize what we've just done?!'_ Harry felt his thoughts swirl. _'We've just murdered hundreds of people! They never stood a chance against us!'_

**'They were the enemy.' **Zero/Slytherin Harry commented. **'It is our mission to defeat Voldemort and his forces for peace and the continued existence of the Wizarding World.'**

_'By being just like them?'_

**'Death is necessary in war.'**

_'You're a monster.'_

Harry blinked in a daze as Gryffindor Harry and Slytherin Harry drifted away completely leaving only Zero. His head ached and for a moment the jade eyed wizard had no idea what had happened _in his own mind_.

'**They're gone. Download complete.' **The next part was like a seductive whisper it was so relieved. **'It's just you and me now.'**

For the last few months he had had Gryffindor Harry – also known as his all around good conscience- telling him to be kind and patient with the people around him while Zero/Slytherin Harry told him to kill his threats and be efficient about it.

No wonder he was always so damn confused.

**'They were simply your way of coping with your extreme thoughts while I integrated myself into your mind completely.' **Here Zero sounded amused. **'You are an astonishingly complicated human.'**

Harry sighed, feeling somewhat relieved. The voices in his head were gone- that was a good thing, right?

Then again, he still had a semi-conscious computer program embedded into his personality, subconscious and brain. Harry wouldn't be winning any awards for sanity any time soon.

Zero gave him a warning to speed up- the Mandrake Leaves wouldn't work forever and he still had to alter their memories of the night to avoid suspicion.

Ebony and scarlet wings swept back into a powerful thrust, making it seem as though the wind had moved the clouds in the sky instead of an invisible Gundam.

* * *

It was amusing, watching Remus, Dumbledore, Snape and Professor McGonagall all but dash past the wards of Hogwarts. The Order seemed to have an impressive intelligence circle to have gotten word on the base in less than two hours. The base had been deep in the French countryside and only the Aurors had been on scene when Harry had left.

**'Keep down wind. The Werewolf has an enhanced sense of smell.'**

The ghosts and Filch were on high alert with the Headmaster away but they couldn't catch what they couldn't see and Harry was a soldier now. He strolled past the bitter caretaker as if he were simply walking to a class early.

Portraits were cleverer than that.

"Reveal yourself!" Slytherin hissed into the darkened and seemingly empty hall. Helga Hufflepuff had her wands out- it was shaking badly- while she hid behind the ever courageous Gryffindor.

Rowena Ravenclaw seemed to find the whole scene boring and continued reading one of her many large tomes.

Harry sent them a Confundus Charm, said the new password- which had been changed into a series of seven numbers that Heero changed weekly- and entered the small dorm.

His five bodyguards were still spread across the floor, deep in sleep. It almost looked like a sleepover that had ended early.

Or a mass murderer.

Zero prompted Harry into action. Just because J had modified him and created the new ability to go days without sleep didn't mean he _had _to. Sleep would be good for Harry and Zero- who needed to upgrade himself whenever possible. During Harry's rest was the most efficient time and apparently less painful.

The Gryffindor decided to move Trowa first. The tallest of the six of them, he had spent half the night slumped over his lover's prone body. That couldn't possibly be good for his spine.

Laying the other teen flat, Harry pulled out his wand and set it at Trowa's temple. He could have used wandless magic but a wand was much more reliable and this needed to be perfect. Better to err on the side of caution than to get cocky and blow his cover.

With Zero's ability to produce possible outcomes, Harry quickly did a scan of Trowa's memories of earlier than night. If he had planned on doing something in particular, Harry could use that while fabricating a new memory of the night for him.

The silent wizard's mind included many thoughts of suspicion against Harry and amusement for Duo's antics while warm feelings and naughty plans had been in sore for Quatre.

Zero vetoed the idea of using those last thoughts in a fake memory as Harry- and Zero- had no clear idea what the two lovers were like in their private moments together. The program also claimed that there were certain after effects from sexual intercourse that would be suspiciously missing if Harry were to take that route. Harry agreed- although he took Zero's word on most of it. He wasn't the most informed on sex and its complications after all.

The story began with Quatre claiming a migraine and dragging Trowa off to bed early. Trowa had gone willingly, worried for his lover's health.

Harry wondered how they had ever planned to keep their relationship a secret as he lugged Trowa into his shared room with Quatre. It was a pleasant room, painted in calming blues and green.

There was only one bed.

Even before Voldemort and Dr. J, the old Harry wouldn't have missed that hint.

A flick of his wand had Trowa dressed in dark green pajama bottoms and tucked into bed.

Quatre's story was a bit harder to conjure up as Harry had to put the impression of an actual migraine into his memory before the blond was quickly snuggled up to his lover.

Wufei and Duo were next- each implanted with the fake memory of helping each other with their homework. Wufei had already completed his arithmancy homework in the library- after dragging himself and his braided lover out from behind the bookshelves- and Duo had made outrageous predictions in Divination.

Harry had simply extended their actual memories of snogging in the library and superimposed the ones of doing their homework with being in the dorms. It wasn't easy but with Zero the job was done seamlessly.

The last of the lovers stashed away in bed- and in their frightening red and black colored room- Harry turned on Heero.

Zero was all but drooling to get into this teen's head.

That was why, when Harry finally put his wand at the Japanese wizard's temple, Zero made him shoot through Heero's memories farther back than any of them.

'**There. There. There. I must know why he seems familiar.'**

Harry tried to protest as flashes of what his mind registered as OZ Leos, Duo, Wufei, Trowa and Quatre, the Preventer's building in Sanq, the Vice-Foreign Minister Relena Peacecraft and more.

A thought crossed Heero's memory and Zero all but tackled it.

Wing Zero.

A Gundam.

Heero was a Gundam pilot.

Duo, Wufei, Trowa and Quatre were Gundam pilots.

'**Here!'**

Zero stopped and a familiar face had Harry jerking back from Heero's still form in terror.

That face had belonged to the one who had tortured him for weeks, had made him into this robotic- humanoid monster. And Heero knew him.

Heero knew Dr. J.

* * *

A/N: Okay, here's where I explain some things. Slytherin Harry and Gryffindor Harry are gone now. I'll miss them. However they were, as Zero said, Harry's way of coping. Almost like Zero compartmentalizing all of Harry's thoughts while he sorted his shit out. Now Harry's back in business with the Zero system integrated into his very way of thinking and he knows about the guys.

Thanks for the reviews and sorry fro the long wait!

S.Tangerine


	8. A Question of Safety

A/N: Sorry for the long wait- the last four weeks of work I've had maybe four days off. I had an idea of where I wanted to get this chapter to and that I'm finally going to start trying to get Heero and Harry to cooperate. So you should start seeing hints of slash here. HINTS people.

Thanks for the reviews and for being so patient.

* * *

Chapter Eight: A Question of Safety

Harry watched as his bodyguards awoke one by one the next morning. Or pair by pair as it usually went. Wufei was up before everyone but Harry- looking surprised to see the messy-haired wizard in the common room.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?"

Harry blinked at the irritated face before him, secretly relieved to find Wufei and not Heero had been the first to join him. Zero beeped awake in his mind and told him to answer the angry Preventer's question before he got violent.

"Isn't it obvious?" He replied, raising an eyebrow. "I'm trying to clean up."

Zero reeled off a bunch of numbers and flashed warnings as Wufei's angry rose and his blood pressure spiked.

"You're not supposed to wander off on your own, Potter." Wufei gritted out. "You could have a… a relapse or another fit."

Harry, feeling a bit of irrational anger at the Chinese wizard seep through his Zero induced walls of indifference, slammed the empty plate down on the tiny table located in the right most corner of the Common Rooms. The unused tea and biscuits from that night had been transferred to the table after Heero had been safely tucked away in bed.

"I find it hard to believe that leaving my bedroom and tidying up the Common Rooms can be considered wandering off." He glowered at Wufei. "And it would be nice if you stopped treating me like some sort of bomb just waiting to explode. I had a momentary lapse of….. something in the Hospital Wing in _August_. This is October. It hasn't and won't happen again."

Flicking his wand to fix the broken plate, Harry mumbled. "Merlin, you screw one goat….."

"Ew, Harry. Is that a typical hobby of wizards in Britain or are you just special?" Duo held up his hands as he became the recipient of two chilling glares. He frowned in confusion. Harry shouldn't have been able to possess such a look……..

"Chang seems to think leaving my bed while everyone is sleeping constitutes as sneaking out and wandering off." Harry complained and Zero showed him its night's work. Each of his bodyguards- or was it pilots?- had been assessed for danger and security purposes. Heero's own almost computer efficient thoughts had cut down on the amount of work Zero had had to complete while giving them a comprehensive 'file' of each teen's strengths, weakness and abilities.

One of Zero Five's weaknesses was his temper

One of Zero Two's was Zero Five- and vice versa.

Zero Two- Duo, Harry cut in with a mental growl- shifted uncomfortably at the amount of animosity in the room. It had been nearly three months since their awkward first meeting and that disaster in the Hospital Wing but Wufei had yet to relent in his belief that Harry was a danger to others. Not even when Heero, who slept in the same room as the green-eyed wizard-hero, had begun to relax around Harry had Wufei been swayed.

This had put Duo in a particularly hard predicament, especially since he genuinely liked Harry as a friend, and considering the fact that he slept with Wufei certainly meant he was more than just a little fond of the Chinese wizard as well.

"Heh, um guys….." The violet-eyed teen started, unsure of how to word his opinion. "If Harry didn't exactly leave the room and say, wander off to…. the kitchens by himself then he didn't really wander off."

Harry picked up a cookie and popped it in his mouth, trying to hide his smirk as Wufei blinked at his lover. There was a heavy silence for a few seconds after that announcement until a growl came from the Chinese teen.

"Fine. Just inform us if you so much as open that door." Harry quirked an eyebrow but said nothing as Wufei turned his back on him – a stupid move by Zero's opinion- to speak to Duo. "I'll be in the library if you need me. There's a book on magic and the colonies in there that might explain….some particulars about particular things."

Duo nodded, hiding his smile at Harry's eye roll. "Have fun, Dear."

Wufei snorted but left go of the hand he had unconsciously held and stalked out the door.

A quiet settled over them, unusual if only because Duo disliked any lack of noise. Harry had never been one to fill up a silence with useless chatter and had found that, if given time, Duo would speak up.

He pushed the scrolling numbers predicting exactly when Duo would speak- right down to the millisecond- to the back of his mind as his friend sighed.

"It's not you he's- well technically it_ is_ you he's angry with, but Wufei would be spitting if it had been someone else who had grabbed me like that." Duo fumbled through the slight awkwardness. "Just be patient with him."

Harry cocked his head to the side, as if thinking about the proposal before nodding. It would be ideal for everyone if Harry simply took the brunt of the Chinese teen's anger until he sorted himself out. It would be beneficial to everyone if Wufei actually liked the person her was guarding, especially Harry, considering the fact that happy friends were not suspicious ex-Gundam pilots.

Or rather they were- just not suspicious of_ him_.

"I understand." He replied to Duo's inquiry. "He's simply being protective over someone he cares about. Must be hard being a Preventer and a lover at the same time."

Duo snorted. "He's the one I have to worry about being with the Preventers! Fei can't keep a steady partner with his rough exterior." The braided wizard explained at Harry's questioning look.

"Must be nerve wracking. So how long have you been a Preventer then?"

Duo blinked and thought about it as he picked up a cookie of his own. "A little over a year maybe. Me and the guys all joined up together."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "What, did you all meet at special secret agent school for the Preventers?"

The slightest pause in Duo's body language alerted him to his friend's discomfort. He'd struck a nerve it seemed, something he'd have to lie about.

And Harry knew well that Duo Maxwell didn't lie.

Those precious five seconds felt like five minutes before Duo simply shrugged the inquiry off. "Something like that. We've been friends since we were fifteen."

_'Since you all became Gundam pilots you mean.'_ Harry corrected in his head. Zero added the information to their memory files. _'Since you met Doctor J. Or are there more like him just waiting to torture and break others in their sick experiments?'_

**'Stop being so emotional about something that is completed. You cannot change what happened to you- your system restore has been edited-deal with it or become obsolete.'**

Harry ignored the program, opting to send a small smile at Duo.

"I'll deal with it."

Zero relaxed slightly. **'Good.'**

That seemed to be the cue Duo needed to ease the last bit of the tension between them as the braided teen quickly took to helping Harry clear up their Common Room; cracking jokes and commenting on the oddity of the Hogwarts population in general.

"The purebloods are the weirdest- you've either got the ones that can't stand anyone less than the fat-free version of the Wizarding world or the ones who think muggles and any variation of them are new and exciting pets."

Harry hmm-ed in agreement. He had seen many Slytherins pick on those of muggle-born or half-blood families and Mr. Weasley had a tendency of examining everything he could find that was slightly mugglified.

"They've got Muggle Studies for the few pureblood who are interested in learning about our….culture." Duo snorted. "_Muggle Studies._ It sounds like a damn science project- and where exactly is the class for muggleborns trying to learn about the Wizarding World?"

The green eyed wizard shrugged. He had also noticed the absence of a class for those who had never been in the Wizarding World before. In their haste to re-educate the witches and wizards of the world about their non-magical counterparts, everyone seemed to have forgotten the need to educate the muggleborns.

**'A safeguard.'** Zero supplied. **' Better to know your enemy than for your enemy to know you.'**

The sound of one of the bedroom doors opening stopped all conversation as Quatre stumbled out into the common room, followed shortly by his taller boyfriend. Duo winced at the sight of his blond friend. He looked horrible.

"How's the head Q?"

Quatre grimaced as he plopped himself down at one of the smaller tables and groaning. "I fell like I've been stepped on by a G-giant!"

Trowa nodded at his companions, making sure the bond was settled down before starting on brewing a pot of tea. Duo scratched the back of his head in the silence after Quatre's almost slip.

"Perhaps you should go see the nurse after breakfast Quatre." Trowa's quiet, strong voice broke the tension easily. "It's been a while since you had a headache this bad."

The blond nodded, clutching his head miserably before long.

Harry drifted off from the group, feeling a pang of guilt as he finished clearing away the mess from last night. Quatre hadn't even had a headache to begin with and now he was still suffering from something Harry had implanted in his head.

**'You did what was necessary.'** Zero chided. **'Zero Four will be fine before long.'**

_'He shouldn't even be in pain.'_ Harry argued feebly with the program, seeing its logic_. 'We should find a way to attack Voldemort without dragging these five into things.'_

**'Perhaps.'**

Harry had just put the last of the trash into the garbage can and had joined the three other wizards at the table when a steady knock on the portrait startled them.

Everyone had risen to their feet at the noise, ready for anything. Duo shrugged it off easily while a rosy blush covered Quatre's pain-paled cheeks. Trowa and Harry stood still, suspicious.

Zero already supplied him with a possibility of who could be at the door. Hermione would still be trying to drag Ron out of bed right now. Remus and Dumbledore would be at Number 12, getting ready for their meeting. Wufei knew the password.

Obviously it was another Hogwarts student.

It was Duo who decided to answer the knock.

The portrait swung open to reveal, much to everyone's surprise, Lisa Turnip. The pretty brunette smiled slightly at the looks on everyone's faces, before her eyes landed on Harry. A larger grin spread across her face as she turned her dark blue eyes at Duo.

"Good morning. I hope I haven't woken you up?"

"Naw, we're up at the crack of dawn every morning in these parts of the castle." Duo responded warmly. The braided wizard got on with everyone in their year- even most Slytherins.

Lisa snorted. "I highly doubt that ten in the morning is considered the crack of dawn anywhere."

"Ever been to Siberia?" Duo parried, making the Ravenclaw laugh.

"What can we do for you Miss Lisa?" Quatre asked in his own polite yet direct manner. Harry had a strange feeling about things as the young witch twirled a lock of hair around her finger and blushed slightly. He could see that she wanted to speak with him, although the subject matter was a slightly more fuzzy vision.

"Actually I was wondering if I could speak to Harry for a moment?"

The tension in the room rose dramatically as Lisa proved Harry's personal prediction. Still, Duo kept his easy going smile and Quatre his friendly one, even though four of the five people in the room thought saying no would be necessary but awkward.

Everyone at Hogwarts knew, at some level, that the five new students who were rooming with Harry were not just new arrivals. They were his bodyguards- unofficially if not officially. But no one had any idea just how seriously they took their duty.

Harry could tell they didn't like the idea of him leaving the room on his own, even to just stand outside in the hall. It rankled at him. Lisa was all maybe over one hundred pounds and barely five foot three- Harry was positive he could take her if it came to a fight.

'**But is it you they're worried about getting hurt or her?'** Zero suggested lazily, bringing Wufei's words to the front of Harry's mind. **'One of them has already announced his mistrust, it would be foolish to not expect more.'**

Harry blinked back to the present, noticing the silence and how uncomfortable Lisa was getting. He nodded at her slightly. "Alright."

Trowa, Duo and Quatre each protested- although only Duo and Quatre actually voiced their displeasure. Trowa had a way of simply projecting his dislike.

Harry gave them each a heavy look. "I'll just be five minutes."

"Sure thing. "Duo quipped, nodding tightly. Quatre gave a tense smile.

"Of course."

Trowa 'hn'ed in response.

Lisa was blinking at them all as Harry stepped out beside her and closed the portrait hole gently. The silence continued until she grinned a bit shyly at him.

"So they really are your bodyguards?"

Harry nodded, mentally setting his internal clock to countdown. He had no doubts that they would be out here in exactly five minutes if he wasn't back.

"In a sense. They were hired to protect me." _'From other people or protect other people from me, which I'm not sure yet.' _

Lisa took a step forward, reaching out slowly to grasp Harry's hand. He could see clearly where this is going now, and desperately wished he'd stayed in the Common Room.

"So they'd have to follow us around all day if I asked you to go to Hogsmeade with me then?"

It was Zero's warning not to hurt her that told him she was going to move closer before her lips quickly pecked his cheek. Still, Harry was tense as he watched her retreat and wait for his answer.

Instead of that half-remembered awkwardness he'd once had or even a light-hearted excitement at the proposal of doing something_ normal,_ Harry was surprised to feel an unbearable sadness descend around him.

Lisa still stood there, his rough, bloodstained hand in her soft, warm one and a nervous light in her eyes. She felt so young to him, so young it hurt- even though she was just his age.

She was, just on her own, a harsh reminder of what he'd lost. His capture had aged him more than anyone could have guessed; even through Harry hadn't been a child since he was dropped on his aunt's doorstep all those years ago.

He could kill her easily and justify it with the program in his head.

"I-I can't."

The light dimmed from her eyes at his answer, making Harry feel as though he just might've already killed something with his words alone. His hand was dropped quickly, as she looked down at the carpet.

"Oh."

His skin felt cold, although Zero reminded him it was the same temperature as the rest of his body, as Harry tried to explain.

"It was decided that it would be…safer for everyone if I didn't leave the castle this year."

The air around them felt solemn after that, with understanding and not-really-understanding. Lisa would tell herself she knew what Harry meant but his rejection would always be there now and she didn't really know how much he had changed.

"I'm sorry." The need to apologize was strong as Harry looked at the pretty girl before him. "I hope I didn't ruin your plans."

Zero told him he hadn't, that she would have made more being a Ravenclaw, but it was good for him to hear that she had.

"I'll just go down with Hannah and Terry for a while- they invited me before." It was obvious she wanted to leave, just forget she had even asked and Harry let her go with a wave of his hand. He watched her hair as it disappeared around the corner with a sigh.

Feeling unbelievably heavy, like a rain cloud trying to rise above a mountain, Harry sat across the hall from the portrait hole. He wasn't wandering, like Chang had accused earlier. He was stagnant- in more ways than one.

He couldn't go back to being just innocent, naïve Harry anymore- that path had been more annihilated than barred off to him. Wiped completely from his programming. A mere memory.

The present was a confused jumble of newly situated fragments, too brittle to apply and the future was nothing but a run of glowing numbers in his mind.

He was completely and utterly stagnant.

The distant rumble of feet and teenagers talking brought a grimace to Harry's face. Would he ever join their ranks again, simply being care-free, weightless and young? Or would another Lisa Turnip try her luck with this war-weary, fate-burdened soldier and succeed?

Harry doubted it; there innocence was simply too much for him now- so bright it hurt his jaded eyes.

The portrait hole swung open suddenly, making him start, a hex hovering on his lips. Heero stalked out only to be brought up short by Harry's huddled form. The thunderous expression faded from the Japanese teen's face as the portrait clicked shut and left the two messy-haired wizards alone in the hall.

Heero checked over his charge quickly, his shoulders relaxing minutely. "You are safe."

"Am I?" Harry mumbled, glaring at the fabric of his pants and not meaning for the words to carry.

The slight shift in Heero's form alerted him to the knowledge that he_ had_ heard him muttered inquiry. Harry set his expression and met his bodyguard's look head on.

"Am I safe? Chang doesn't seem to think so, even after all this time he still expects me to explode with the force of a Supernova."

Heero's expression changed slightly at those words, taking them in and processing them in a way not unlike Zero.

From experience, Harry knew the process was short lived and was unsurprised by a swift answer.

"Chang has his reasons and his fears for any anger against something that hurts those he cares about, even if the hurting was unintentional." Heero's voice was quiet but steady as he spoke. "He is quick to anger but slow to forgive. Chang is not one to give people a baseline of honor to live up to- you must earn it."

Blue eyes burned with conviction. "I trust you know your limits and fear your uncontrollable urges. Give him a reason to trust you and he will not be so scathing."

_Trust._ Something he'd been unknowingly missing since his return. Nobody trusted him anymore- to be safe for himself or others. To still be their hero.

**'And with good reason.'** Zero pointed out slyly. **'Wasn't last night's activities enough to break Zero One's trust?'**

Harry's lips twitched as he fought off a frown. _'Why don't you just take me over and run everything like the perfect machine that you are?'_

A strange feeling came from the Zero-part of his mind, almost an emotion in its intensity. Then the program spoke.

**'I would never do that unless it was absolutely necessary for our continued survival. Without you I am simply a body shaped computer running on a predictions program. I would be perfect in everyway but one; I would have no humanity. What you give, as a separate person, is very precious to me.'**

"Potter?"

His hands clenched into fists at the sound of Heero's voice. Jade eyes blinked rapidly up at his bodyguard.

"Sorry, about zoning out there for a moment." The previous conversation refreshed in his mind and he gave the Japanese teen a small smile. "Thanks. For trusting me."

Heero gave him a small nod and pulled him to his feet casually, as if they both didn't know Harry had been seconds away from throwing a punch.

* * *

The Night Before

To say they were surprised at the amount of destruction would have been an understatement. There was nothing left to the base but a crater and a few smoldering pieces of rubble.

And bodies. Remus wasn't sure he would ever forget the bodies.

Albus had been immediately swept up in the politics and official investigating of the mess, leaving his two professors alone to do a bit of their own poking around.

Remus wasn't sure he liked what he'd found.

The base had been destroyed completely and its former occupants had been caught unaware. Even with all of the magical protections and secrecy, someone had found Voldemort's base and made sure it would never be put to full use.

Listening in on the chatty French Aurors, the werewolf wizard had been able to overhear that any survivors of the attack- which was an odd way of wording the destruction of a Death Eaters' base- had already been taken into custody.

The name Vulcan Mulciber was the most recognizable. He was a member of Voldemort's inner circle.

A slight scent drifted on the air, pulling at his memory as his brain automatically recognized and separated the smells of death and fire. This scent was different- it was danger and vulnerability all in one. It was strength and weakness, love and hate, light and dark. It almost remaindered the werewolf of-

"Remus, Minerva!" the Headmaster's voice called out suddenly, startling him from his thoughts. Whatever that new scent had reminder him of vanished like the elusive thought it was.

Remus growled softly, imprinting the exact sense to his memory before stalking off.

Albus was standing close to where they had split up, right next to a tall, heavy-set man with a large beard. He nodded at the stranger as Remus and Minerva came into view.

"Head Auror Renee LaPierre has agreed to let us watch in on the questioning of Mister Mulciber."

LaPierre nodded tighty before holding out a rolle dup newspaper. "Jeez 'old onto ziss. Five. 'our. Three. Two. One."

That horrible tugging sensation just under his navel made Remus wince, as they were pulled through time and space to land heavily in the designated portkey area of the Ministry of Magic in France.

LaPierre took the newspaper back and burned it with a flick of his wand- destroying any trace back to the crime scene or vice versa.

He tuned sharply.

"Follow me."

It was disconcerting to see just how different one Ministry varied from the other. The British Ministry of Magic had a modern corporate feel to its offices while its courtrooms were plain medieval.

The French ministry appeared to have been frozen in time at the Reconnaissance Era. Everything was decorated in gold or plush satin drapery. The high ceiling appeared to have a mural that looked very similar to the one Michelangelo created in the Sistine Chapel.

"We 'ave zee Death Eater in 'olding." LaPierre explained briefly. "Our interrogators are about to administer Veritaserum."

Remus blinked at him. "Doesn't he have the right to an attorney?"

LaPierre sent him a look. "He 'as zee Dark Mark on his arm- zat nullifies any rights zat killer might 'ave."

The corridors became more familiar looking as they were led deeper into the bottom of the Ministry. Torches lit the stone hallways, casting shadows as they flared and dimmed.

Suddenly, the Auror stopped before a nondescript door and ushered them in. the room was bare, except from one long, shaded mirror on the opposite wall. Lapierre flicked his wand quickly, turning the mirror into a screen. It reminded Remus of the one-way mirrors muggle police officers used when interrogating a suspect.

Mulicber looked pale and sweaty on the other side of the glass, his hands shackled in glowing silver cuffs and his feet chained to the floor. A small sparkling bulb hung in the corner- a magic detector and signature reader. On a small table just below the bulb was a Sneakascope and a few other Dark Detectors Remus could barely make out.

"If you cooperate we could try and make a bargain with the British Ministry to change your impending death sentence into a life-time stay at Azkaban." A man with dirty blond hair was leaning over Mulciber, trying to intimidate him. Standing of to their right stood another man of French descent if his looks were to be taken as true.

The Death Eater shook his head violently, a snarl on his lips. "My Lord owns the Dementors- he owns Azkaban. If I were to even consider the notion of betraying him there wouldn't be a place on this earth I could hide."

The dark-haired man in the corner tsked. "Certainly you've 'eard of zee Fidelius Charm?"

Mulciber laughed mockingly. "Yes, that bit of magic certainly worked well for the Potters, now didn't it?"

The blond sighed gustily, giving his comrade a nod. "Administer one drop. Let's see how true his loyalties are with Vertiaserum."

As predicted, the shackled wizard began to panic.

"You can't do this to me! I am a British citizen- a wizard of the highest caliber. I have rights! You-"

"Yeah, yeah and right now you've also got a drop of Vertiaserum running through you." The blond Auror said. "Aren't you the lucky one?"

LaPierre looked disgruntled, although a slight glint of amusement shined in his eyes. "Zat is Aaron Murphy. 'E is a transfer from America."

Remus rather liked his style.

"Now, let's get started." Auror Murphy said, sitting down across from the now glaze-eyed wizard. "For the record, what is your full name?"

"Vulcan Demetrious Mulciber."

Murphy shuddered. "Wow- you're parents must've really hated you as a child. That's not a question!"

Mulciber blinked for a moment before going quiet again.

A more serious air fell on the crowd as Murphy dropped his funny man attitude and got down to questioning. "Are you a Death Eater in the ranks of Lord Voldemort?"

Remus watched in a bastard mix of fascination and boredom as the two Aurors took turns milking their prisoner for information and admissions of guilt. They had almost come up to the incident of the base when Albus spoke up for the first time.

"Perhaps after you finish with your questioning, could you have Auror Murphy ask him about the kidnapping of Harry Potter?"

LaPierre thought for a moment before nodding again and touching a pendant on his neck. Murphy stiffened in the room before raising his own hand to his neck and nodding.

"Alright. Let's talk about to night. What happened to the base in the countryside?"

Mulciber blinked. "It was destroyed."

Murphy rolled his eyes. "Yes, but by what?"

When the Death Eater didn't answer, Murphy repeated the question and Remus felt the tension in the air thicken. A twitch began on the dark wizard's face as he tried to speak.

"It-it-" He gasped; a wet choking sound. "It was Phoen-"

Murphy was forced to push away from his seat as Mulciber started to spew up blood. It ran from his nose and eyes as the Death Eater began to convulse and slid out of his chair.

LaPierre dashed from the room and into the holding area as the other Auror ran off to get a medi-witch. The stench of blood and death coated the back of Remus' throat as the two Auror's began to swear.

Albus ushered them out of the room and into the hallway.

"It's best that you stay away from the blood." The Headmaster called out to the Aurors. "It will have been spelled to have an acid-like quality now."

The two men quickly exited the room, murderous expressions on their faces.

Minerva, pale but steady, spoke first. "What was he trying to say before…"

"I do believe," Dumbledore said, his voice grave. "That he was trying to say Phoenix. A Phoenix of some kind destroyed the French base."

Remus ignored the exclamations of denial from the Aurors around them. A tight ball of dread had formed in his stomach, something the professor hoped was just his nerves.

To fear an impending turn of fate- or a threatening disaster- seemed to be too late.

* * *

A/N: any mistakes are from me trying to post before having to go to work AGAIN! I just called in between finishing this chapter and trying to edit it!

S. Tangerine


	9. Not A Child

A/N: I've had this one done for a while but the motivation to edit it was hard in comming. My parents are gone for a few weeeks and I've got to fend for myself for a while. Work's been popping up at the most unconvient times and I was whacked with the sudden urge to clean ever speck of dust off my apartment. But here it is, right? All is forgiven?

Chapter Nine: Not A Child

The knock at around noon the next day didn't come as a surprise to anyone- it was an expectation now nearly three months into the school years.

Harry sighed gustily. "Hullo Remus."

The werewolf smiled softly. "How are you Harry?"

Zero ran a quick check. "I'm_ fine_." Harry stressed the word as Heero quietly worked on his laptop. The other four were out prowling the castle- a security measure apparently. Harry- and Zero- figured it was more like a bout of cabin fever. With no Quidditch, no Hogsmeade visits and hair-trigger reflexes, Harry barely left their common rooms except for meals and classes.

"And beside," Duo had commented, "Heero is more than enough bodyguard for a few hours."

Amber eyes glanced around the common room nervously. Lips were licked as Harry waited for the inquiry that swayed on his professor's tongue.

"You haven't read the Prophet yet today then?"

The jade-eyed wizard quirked an eyebrow in response. "You know I don't read garbage. Why?"

Remus motioned to a plump armchair, sitting in one himself. His eyes flickered over at Heero but the werewolf said nothing. Harry ignored him- if this was about his unknown night activities Heero would find out about most of it later.

"One of Voldemort's bases was destroyed just a night ago."

A startled expression uploaded onto Harry's face and Heero's typing slowed.

"The Order?" Harry asked, knowing the true answer.

Remus shook his head. "I can't tell you much but a few of the Death Eaters survived and they claimed it was a Gundam."

Heero's whole body seemed to stiffen- at least from Harry's point of view- and the tension in the air felt like a wet cloth. Remus didn't seem to like his taciturn bodyguard right from the very beginning of their meeting. The others had been greeted with an almost forced politeness but Heero's presence barely accounted for civility in Remus' eyes.

Harry frowned at the man. He was sugar-coating his words again, very much like Dumbledore was likened to do when he didn't want to 'burden' Harry with the knowledge.

It irked him something fierce.

"The same Gundam that had been attacking places all over Northern Europe this summer?"

Remus nodded and made to speak. Harry cut him off.

"The same Gundam everyone I knew conveniently forgot to tell me about?"

It didn't help matters when the professor didn't even flinch at Harry's tone. It was cold but burning at the same time.

"You had enough on your mind at the time without having to deal with more of Voldemort's horrors."

_'Is that what I am?'_ Harry thought bitterly. _'Just another one of Voldemort's horrors?'_

**'You could be so much worse if you choose to be.'** Zero pointed out with an almost disdainful sniff.

Remus sighed suddenly, startling Harry from his thoughts. A wry smile has caught his lips.

"I suppose I simply hate the idea of involving you and Ron and Hermione in this war anymore than we need to. It hurts to see the young so jaded."

Harry stopped and stared at his almost-godfather. His anger made the air feel electrified and his gaze made Remus feel as though the young wizard before him could see his every thought.

Slowly, as though his words were too strong to be kept back, Harry spoke.

"I'm not a child, Remus."

The fact that he'd called him by his first name surprised the older wizard into almost missing the message. A frown stole over his features.

"Of course you're not- you came of age in July-"

Harry cut him off again, anger harshing his voice.

"Then why not tell me about this Gundam…..thing before now? Why not in September? October? Why not let me join the Order and-"

"NO!"

Harry froze at the shout and Heero twitched violently. The jade-eyed wizard simply stared at his father's friend in sudden understanding. "You don't trust me, do you?" he asked and was rewarded with a flinch. "You think I'm too young to be trust, too much of a child to join the Order but not to stop Voldemort."

Remus frowned and tried to speak. "Harry, I just want you to be safe! I-"

Harry surged to his feet. He looked Remus in the eye, his face hard and serious. "I'm not a child- you don't always have to keep me safe. You _can't_ always keep me safe."

Remus was silent as his sort-of-godson walked swiftly past him towards to portrait hole. Heero followed in a flash.

The Gryffindor stiffened and glared over his shoulder at his 'shadow.'

I'm not a child." He repeated, his voice leaving no room for arguing.

Heero nodded firmly as if he'd known all along. "No, you're not, but I'm still you're bodyguard- whether you're seventeen or seventy."

Harry's eyes seemed to un-focus for a moment before he looked away. A smile twitched at his lips before he addressed Remus again.

"I-_We're_ going for a walk. Good day, Professor Lupin."

"I- Good Day Harry."

The two wizards walked through the portrait hole in an understanding silence and their professor in desperate confusion.

* * *

It was not appropriate.

That seemed to be the main thought in Heero's mind lately. It wasn't appropriate, it wasn't right. He was cold, distant and professional- the ultimate bodyguard. He was not supposed to be having these...feelings about his charge.

When he checked Potter over for injuries, his gaze was not supposed to linger.

When he thought of the quiet young wizard, he was not supposed to change those thoughts into ridiculous daydreams.

When he went to bed he was not supposed to stay up until Potter went to sleep, watching the teen carefully for any sign of distress before relaxing himself.

When he watched over the other teen, he was not supposed to want to be closer than was needed, just to feel Potter's claming, almost familiar warmth.

_But he did._

Contrary to popular belief, Heero was not an emotionless automaton who believed his only self-worth was that of the completion of the mission. He had feelings and understood them to a certain degree; he just understood when something else was bigger than him, more important.

During the war, that something important had been peace. During the war, Relena Peacecraft had been the ultimate symbol of peace- it stood to reason that she was far more important than him as well.

That didn't mean he was in love with her or her ideals. He was protective of her, respected her and was strangely proud of Relena and her accomplishments. Then there was that bit of fearful wariness when it came to the blond princes and her stubborn tenacity. That was the extent of his feelings for Relena Peacecraft.

Potter was like that to Heero, in many aspects except the one where the Japanese teen noticed how good Harry looked in his school robes. Relena had worn all types of dresses during the war- and in one frightening case of bodyguard duty a skimpy bathrobe- and the only thing Heero had really noticed about the clothing was that it wasn't the best outfit to defend one's self in.

The thought had crossed his mind to take himself off the mission, almost form the point his attraction to Harry had been recognized, but the idea had been tossed.

If Heero were to leave who would come in his place? The others would wonder at his absence, maybe even leave themselves because he would never divulge his feelings to them on the subject, and who would protect Potter then?

Dumbledore had asked for the best and he'd gotten it- there was no shame in knowing where you stood. Heero would just have to accept the fact that Harry Potter had become the most important person to him- professionally and personally- and always remember that it wasn't appropriate for him to want these things.

Still, it was ironic that the one thing Heero finally wanted for himself, the one person out of those who had tired, was just out of his reach.

* * *

The wind was bitingly cold and seemed to find all the seams and cracks in Harry's robes as they walked across the grounds of Hogwarts. It was a passing thought to his mind as Zero tried to calm him down.

**'You're being illogical. It shouldn't faze you so much that The Order does not trust you. How are they to know if you've been corrupted if you claim to have no memory of your captivity?'**

Harry kept a small frown on his face as he lashed out at the voice in his head. _'Trust obviously isn't one of the things you understand. It's __**always**__ been this way.'_

**'All the more reason for it not to bother you.'**

Harry bit back a growl_. 'Dumbledore and Sirius and Remus keeping secrets from me is what got me in this situation. Them making decisions for me are what put me with the Dursleys and in danger. Am I not supposed to care?'_

**'Of course not.'** Zero scoffed but continued**. 'But maybe you should forgive but not forget? Move on but keep in mind that you can trust no one.'**

"Easier said than done." Harry murmured, making Heero shoot him a sharp look. Harry took a silent breath.

"I suppose you never have that kind of trouble- people thinking you can't take care of yourself anymore."

Heero shook his head slowly, a calm presence at his charge's side. "No, but I do have those who seem to think I'm invincible."

Harry looked away. "You make me feel like I'm whining now."

The Japanese teen shook his head again before speaking. "Lupin cares about you. He's lost many in life already."

Harry snorted bitterly. "So have I but I don't cling like he does. Remus treats me like I've been broken- like I'm too fragile to face life alone."

Heero listened in silence, unbiased and supporting at the same time. They weren't far off from Hagrid's hut when he spoke.

"The show him you're not."

It was short and to the point and, for the strangest reason, exactly what Harry needed to hear. A smile danced on his lips as he turned to his bodyguard- _his friend_- to say thanks.

The motion was aborted as that tingly feeling of another prediction sped up Harry's spine and his ears caught the muffled sound of an owl's screech. Zero showed him the percentage of it being a screech of warning versus a screech of pain.

Heero was tense beside him, looking around as Harry froze and listened intently. If he concentrated he could hear the low voice of a man just before the owl's cry.

Even with Zero's warning against trusting no one, he didn't hesitate in grabbing the other wizard's wrist and pulling him silently into the forest with a finger pushed to his lips.

The sound of the owl's pain reached Heero's ears as he pulled back on his charge. Harry turned back, his eyes wide.

"It's probably an animal, Potter."

Blue eyes widened as Harry put a hand over Heero's lips and moved in close. A Muffliato was thrown up around them. The jade eyed wizard whispered in his ear softly.

"Listen hard. There's someone here that shouldn't be- the Forbidden Forest is forbidden."

Heero's face hardened as he heard the low voice, just as muffled as the owl's screech. But just how had Potter heard it?

Harry made to pull them farther into the forest and was nearly jerked off his feet by his companion. Heero gave him a glare.

"If there is an intruder than you need to be back at the castle."

Harry glared right back. "I'm not a child. You can come with me or I go alone- either way I'm not going back to the castle."

The Preventer obviously knew a lost cause when he saw it because Harry suddenly found himself following Heero as they crept through the dense trees and underbrush. Zero reminded Harry that they were coming up on a small clearing, one of few in the forest.

Almost as one, Heero and Harry checked for wards or proximity alarms. They shot each other a look that would have been amused if it had been on anyone else. Except maybe Trowa or Wufei. Or Snape.

The only thing guarding the small clearing was a poorly cast silencing spell and Harry's Muffliato was still working as they snuck up to a waist high rose bush. A quick Notice-Me-Not charm kept them from sight as Harry peeked through the dense leaves and into the clearing.

Blaise Zabini stood off to the left of them, his wand raised slightly as he stared down at the trembling owl at his feet. The look on forced hatred on his face told Harry easily just what spell he was using before it passed his lips.

"Crucio."

The owl screeched again, the noise louder now that they were in past the silencing spell. Harry watched as the bird writhed and twitched violently on the ground with a cold sort of detachment. It wasn't until his eyes drifted up to Zabini's from that the memory popped up.

There, on the Slytherin's forearm, black and sinister looking was the Dark Mark.

_-------"Hold him still! Idiots!"_

_It hurt so much. His muscles twitched quickly, painfully as the magic did its work. He'd failed; this was his punishment, his reinforcement not to rebel again. He was supposed to be perfect, to follow order and not ask question, not feel anything._

_Anything but pain and hatred and anger._

_Spots flashed across his eye sight as bolts of sharp pains shot through his head. He tried to jerk out of their hold but there were arms everywhere- always arms and hands holding him down._

_Jade eyes shot open as another whip of heated pain lashed down his spine. A black skull embraced by a twining snake filled his vision. His eyes rotated around him, seeing the mark everywhere as J spoke again._

"_Never question me or your Lord again, Black Emerald. Never forget who owns you or this will be the result."_

_The hatred they all so wanted him to feel filled his veins. He looked at the dark marks on the arms of the men holding him down and vowed he wouldn't forget._

_He would never forget what they'd done to him.-----------_

Numbers flashed across his vision, warning him to avoid Heero's reach as he charged out from behind the bush.

A word that sounded vaguely Japanese sounded behind him as Zabini turned towards him, startled. His arm was barely up again before Harry had him disabled and on the ground, wand digging painfully into his neck.

Zero was running on fast-forward, sending messages left and right, analyzing everything.

'**He is a Death Eater- a threat. He must be terminated.'**

"Potter!" Heero sounded anger but wary as well. He'd seen that same look on Harry's face just before he nearly took out five fully trained Preventers, a Defense professor and a medi-witch. He was a definite disadvantage if Harry couldn't pull himself out of his memories.

Harry distantly noted the near grayish white color of Zabini's skin and the oily sweat on his face from fear and exertion. The heart below him pounded wildly as the Slytherin's body shook.

His own skin was cool and clammy as Harry and Zero registered the shock that was fighting him training for power. It didn't help that he could still see that damned mark.

Merlin but he wanted to say those two words and _end him_, end his miserable life right here in the dirt where scum like Zabini belonged.

It was the fact that his bloody tears disgusted him that stopped Harry from doing it. The other wizard trembled under his weight, whispering pleads not to kill him. Harry hadn't done that- he hadn't begged for mercy- not even when they had strapped him down on that cold metal table and made him hurt for nothing to do with making him perfect. _For fun._

"Stupefy."

Zabini's eyes rolled up in his head as he went slack as Harry finally remembered Heero's presence right beside him.

A hand reached down to pull him up off the stunned wizard and even Zero was silent as Harry fought the urge to vomit. He felt himself sway, as if the world had suddenly tilted on its axis and went against all scientific belief. He couldn't avoid looking at his companion's expression.

Heero's face was unreadable as he stared, and Harry looked down in time to notice that the other teen had drawn his gun instead oh his wand against him.

"Maybe it's stupid of you to trust me. I'm obviously not stable." He said as his eyes drifted over to Zabini's still body. It was almost something like a car wreak, Harry just couldn't look away now.

"He's only stunned Potter." Heero pointed out logically. In a softer voice, he added. "You didn't kill him."

Harry's voice was just as soft as he admitted. "I wanted to though."

Heero waved his wand, making black cords shoot out and bind their captive. He made sure Harry was looking at him when he spoke. "But you didn't. He's doesn't have a scratch on his body from your hands."

Another flick of his wand had the stunned teen floating stiffly in the air as Harry moved towards the owl. Its muscles still twitched violently and shook like a newborn. Harry didn't need Zero to know it wouldn't survive.

In a quick motion, Harry had the owl up in his arms and cradled to his chest. His earlier conversation with Heero surfaced in his mind with a start. This was something fragile, fragile and too precious for his hands.

Heero gave him a surprised glance as he spotted the trembling owl in his arms before it was wiped away.

"Let's go." Harry said, before leading them back to Hogwarts.

* * *

It spread like wildfire through the school and before supper, everyone knew that Blaise Zabini had been caught in the Forbidden Forest with a Dark Mark on his arm and using Unforgivables.

Alone each crime was enough to send someone to Azkaban for life- together Zabini would be lucky if he didn't receive The Kiss.

It was almost thrilling to watch the sorrow, surprise and anger flit across Dumbledore's face when Heero had floated Zabini's waking body before him. Harry and Zero felt guiltily relieved to know that the old wizard didn't know everything that went on in his castle- if only for purely selfish reasons.

"How did this happen?" The Headmaster asked gravely of two of his students and Harry felt a wedge of fear pry its way into his heart.

Heero, for all his taciturn ways, was the first to speak.

"I accompanied Potter on his walk when the owl's cries broke through the poorly cast Silencing Spell. Since the Forest is forbidden, I thought it was grounds for further investigation."

Remus said something biting about Heero leading Harry to close to danger but was cut off by Dumbledore.

"I highly doubt Harry would have come quietly back to the castle if there was something suspicious about."

His light blue eyes twinkled slightly as Harry looked down at his shoes and murmured. "I didn't do anything."

Heero would keep things to himself, it appeared, the very thought making something warm blossom in his chest. Unless the others asked for details, perhaps Albus Dumbledore wouldn't get anymore information about Harry to make him suspicious.

Aurors Shaklebolt and someone Harry didn't know interrupted the impromptu meeting and Dumbledore let them go back to their Common Rooms as Zabini was taken into custody.

Weariness pulled at Harry's eyelids, making them feel like hippogriffs trying to nest for the night. Heero was tense and silent beside him, making Harry feel oddly at ease and skittish at the same time. It was a though Heero was on guard until they got back to the Common Rooms- that meant Harry could _relax_ finally- but once they were secure inquires would begin.

Instead the others were waiting for them.

Duo pounced, all but waiting for them at the door.

"And where have you been my naughty little wizardlings?" He said slyly, eyes bright with mirth. "Out sneaking about without telling anyone, hmm?"

Harry sighed, slipping out of his shoes and outer robe tiredly. "Not now Duo."

"Hey man," the braided teen protested hands raise dint he air. "Maybe I was worried. I've probably got a heart condition or abandonment issues now thanks to you two. Maybe I suffer from a previously undiscovered case of separation anxiety that has been violently uncovered by your callous actions."

Heero glared at his friend, keeping one eye on Harry as he spoke softly but firmly.

"_Not now_, Duo."

Wufei and Quatre were almost a perfect stereo of each other as they asked quite suddenly, "What's happened?"

Harry tossed his robes on one of the chairs, cradling the tortured owl close to his chest. "I'm not feeling well. I'm going to lie down for a while…"

Everyone was silent, waiting from the obvious sign that Heero would be the story teller this evening, until the door to Heero's and Harry's room clicked shut.

Duo turned to his Japanese friend, hands on his hips and eyebrows narrowed. "Well?"

Heero stared at him in return. "Lupin upset Potter today, apparently just getting around to telling him about the unknown Gundam that had been attacking Europe and parts of America and China." A surprised grunt stopped the narrative. "A Gundam destroyed one of Voldemort's bases last night."

Duo and Wufei choked. Quatre started violently and Trowa's one visible eyebrow rose. Quatre recovered first.

"Is it the same one?"

Heero blinked. "Unconfirmed. We have two possibilities though; either this Gundam is new, built to stop the other or-"

"Or our mystery Gundam has changed sides." Quatre finished his eyes bright. He always did try to believe the best in people.

Wufei brought the conversation back to their charge.

"What happened with Potter today?"

Heero sat down by his laptop, glaring at Duo when he noticed the glowing scythes that now formed his screensaver. "Lupin's attempted coddling and inability to treat Potter as anything but a helpless child was addressed before we left- potter wanted to take a walk to cool off."

A grudging flash of respect flared in Wufei's eyes for a moment before he nodded. The Chinese wizard couldn't find any fault in Harry's actions or reactions. Facing what Harry had and having his loved ones treat him like glass only infuriated the Dragon Clan heir.

Here, Heero seemed to be debating with himself over something before he spoke. "We found Blaise Zabini torturing an owl in the Forbidden Forest. He had a Dark Mark on his arm."

Duo and Wufei hissed at the news. Quatre's face hardened. Trowa spoke.

"Potter had a flash back, didn't he?"

Heero looked at the tallest of them, nodding. "He apprehended Zabini before I could even move." Softer he said. "Potter's not only strong and intelligent but fast as well."

"Ron's been whining about the fact that Harry isn't the Gryffindor Team Seeker this year. Apparently that role is the meaning of the words 'fast as hell'." Duo pointed out. "Harry'd have to be above average to have been a Seeker." A grimace cross his heart-shaped face. "And let's not forget the ass kicking we got in the Hospital Wing."

Wufei's face darkened at the memory. "How bad was Zabini hurt?"

Duo, Quatre and much to everyone's surprise Heero glared darkly at their friend.

"I said Potter _apprehended_ him. Zabini begged to live and Potter stunned him."

Quatre blinked, before smiling. "That's it? Maybe he's getting better!"

Duo shot his lover a look. "'Fei you've got to stop thinking of Harry as 'Britain's Most Wanted' and more like 'Charge of the Preventer Agency'. He's been through a lot in the past few months. Hell, he's had this psycho wizard after his head ever since he could coo. It's gonna take a while for that survival instinct to cool down."

The lecture was tempered with a teasing smile. "Besides, don't you remember the first time we shared a bed together? You gave me a black eye and I nearly gutted you."

Wufei turned red at the thought but muttered back, "That's different. We're trained Gundam pilots and he's supposed to be a civilian."

"You forget that the wars were fought and won with the help of rebels- mere civilians going against the government." Trowa pointed out softly, his tone thoughtful. "Potter's been stuck in survival mode for months, maybe even years now. The body and mind adjust to that way of thinking quickly."

A silence fell over the five of them, each wizard thinking about the boy in the other room. It was sort of bittersweet that they could understand his behavior- none o hem would ever be considered normal again.

Finally Quatre stood and clapped his hands lightly.

"I doubt Harry will want to brave the Great Hall today and his friends will surely pay him a visit." He looked at Heero knowingly. "Why don't you see if he's hungry and we'll go get us something to eat?"

Heero nodded, glancing away from the empath's look. So Quatre knew. He'd just have to hide his feelings better. Somehow.

He made his way silently over to the door of his shared room.

* * *

Harry had his back to the door, a relatively stupid move for safety reasons, but he figured anyone trying to get him would have five ex-Gundam pilots to go through first.

Besides, this way no one could tell if he were truly sleeping or not without trying to look over his shoulder and alerting them to their presence. Then Harry could easily fake sleep.

The owl lay beside him, its breathing ragged and rattling. Zero was a rolling screen of statistics, showing Harry exactly how much the tortured animal was deteriorating.

His hand slowly reached out to stroke its battered wings, pushing a pain-relief spell out through his fingertips to seep into it. His stats jumped and a faint cooing sound came from his form.

Harry smiled slightly at the obvious thanks.

"Shall I give you name before you go?" He whispered softly. "Everybody deserves a name to be remembered by."

The owl didn't answer but slept fitfully. He was a strong one, but the Cruciatus Curse was all-powerful.

"How about Hercules? A brave bird needs a brave name."

The doorknob turned suddenly, making Harry stiffen. The quiet entrance and the near silent shuffle of feet on the floor told him his visitor was Heero. There was an expectant silence, making Harry hope that maybe the other wizard would simply leave him alone.

"I know you're awake."

Harry frowned and turned to look at Heero.

"Yes?"

That's when the other teen caught sight of the wheezing owl. He nodded at its shuddering form.

"How is he?"

Harry sat up slowly, feeling the childish urge to curling his knees up under his chin.

"Dying. He wasn't meant to survive the torture but at least now he'll go easier."

Heero didn't respond or ask any thing else but Harry could feel the questions in the air.

'What happened back there?'

Keeping his gaze on the owl, the Gryffindor spoke, his voice low.

"I know he wasn't a true Death Eater- not yet anyway. But he was like them. He had their mark and he had their curses- for a moment I couldn't tell him apart from the others."

He didn't want to show any weakness in front of his silently strong bodyguard but the slight shudder fought its ways through his limbs. "Sometimes things make me remember. Only the bad though- like the Dark Mark. The arms that held me down all had them. I can remember the pain and the marks so fierce. Sometimes I dream about them."

Heero sat down on his bed and looked at his charge. "Torture has a habit of leaving dark memories and scars that never heal."

Harry nodded, stroking the dying Hercules. Heero understood; his dreams were like Harry's- full of pain and screaming.

"You survived it, Potter with most of your mind intact. Not everyone can say that. Not everyone lives."

It was a fact but the way Heero said it, made Harry feel something close to pride. He was still alive and mostly intact. Maybe not solid, smooth and seamless but stitched, scarred and lumpy. Whole if not completely; perfectly.

"Yeah, I did."

Heero rose. "Hungry?"

Harry nodded and cast a quick alert spell on Hercules before following the other wizard out the door.

* * *

A/N: I'm not sure if Heero's OOC or IC or just Heero in his little blurb. You'll probably see a flash or two of his thoughts whiel Harry tries to deal with Zero and his secret plan for revenge agaisnt Voldemort.

Thanks for all the reviews and the patience!

S.Tangerine


	10. The Fire in his Eyes

A/N: I am so sorry for the long wait. Even more so for those of you who are waiting for PLL to be updated. I ended up getting very sick- not once but twice before this came out. Work went crazy and then…well let's just say home life decided to act up.

Let's just all be thankful old sparkly isn't dead right now, hm?

So, in hopes of convincing you all from burning me alive for not updating sooner, this chapter is longer than usual and I've given you some 1XHP slashy moments. Harry is getting more in touch with his hormones and Heero…..Heero is repressed. He needs to get laid.

On with the fic!

* * *

Chapter Ten: The Fire in His Eyes

Everyone was buzzing with an almost nervous excitement as the week drew to a close. News of Blaise Zabini's trial and subsequent punishment, by a sentence of life in Azkaban, and of the destruction of one of Voldemort's many bases had the student population wondering just what the end of the week would bring.

It didn't help any when the Headmaster had stood up at breakfast to announce that he would be making another announcement after Dinner that Friday. Zero had a rather scathing remark on the efficiency of that action, prompting Harry to tell himself to stuff it and startle a group of Hufflepuff First Years.

All day the professors and Harry were tormented with the whispers and giggles of the students. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patel had even gone so far as to start up rumors of what exactly the upcoming announcement could be. Another Triwizard tournament? A new student? A new professor?

Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan scoffed at such a show before calmly setting up bets on what the news would be ("Good or bad, ladies and gents. You-Know-Who is gone or you-Know-who is gone mad…... more so than usual!")

Even Zero seemed in be in on the action once his bad mood had disappeared. The Gryffindor host wondered briefly if computer programs could get into a snit

**'It is not something that would herald a negative outcome.' **The program pointed out wisely. **'Dumbledore wants to bring hope to his students.'**

Harry agreed. Dumbledore had this slightly creepy need to make everything better for everyone around him. As far as the Gryffindor could tell, no one had died recently and everyone with a subscription to the Prophet and a working set of ears knew Zabini's fate.

The other pilots seemed to find the situation either irritating, amusing or a complete waste of time and efficiency.

Duo placed 2 galleons on the announcement being good news while his lover snapped at many of the groups of the giggling witches that lined the halls and blocked the corridors.

Quatre smiled serenely at the upbeat attitudes and innocent hopefulness and let the positive atmosphere keep his spirits up as he chatted away with Trowa.

The blond's oddly quiet boyfriend didn't seem to even notice the change in the student population as he listened to his lover, not even when he had to take alternate routes to get to his classes. What he really thought of the mysterious announcement was unknown to Harry, much to Zero's distress.

Heero……

The Japanese wizard nearly vibrated with his immense dislike of the whole bloody affair. The larger crowds and excited whispered had him jumping for a concealed weapon more than once during the course of the day.

Not that Harry had been any better- he just made his flinches look more like nervous reactions than an attempt at defense against loud noises.

Snape was in a foul mood by the time Seventh Year Potions rolled around. The class was held either right before dinner or right after breakfast on the schedule and therefore was the subject to being the haven of over-excited children or sleepy idiotic dunderheads.

His voice was soft but carried easily over the hissing of cauldrons and the shifting of robes.

"If I hear one more giggle, laugh or fearful chatter of teeth I will personally see to it that you spend the next week gathering potions ingredients in the Forbidden Forest, thus missing the Headmaster's 'big announcement'. Understood?" Some words were all but spat at them.

Nearly fifteen heads all nodded in unison. Duo shot the man a double thumbs up which earned him a dark glare.

Harry ignored the whole event for the most part- Zero recorded anything that could be used later but Harry had better things on his mind.

He'd successfully destroyed one of Voldemort's bases nearly a week ago. One of many situated in Europe. His mind quickly brought up a detailed list of the ones he knew of, ones that were still standing and in full operation. Harry needed to move faster if he wanted to end the war before he turned thirty.

There was still another base hidden on the south east coast of France……

Another to the north-west of Spain………

Two in Greece……….

Portugal held one of Dr. J's labs……….

One in Germany, Switzerland, Italy and even as far away as Russia-

"Potter?"

Harry blinked at Trowa's near-blank expression in mild surprise. Zero scolded him for not paying more attention to his warnings before flitting off to add a mental photograph of Trowa's expression to their collective databa- memory. He was not a computer damn it!

"Are you alright?" Quatre had leant over his desk a bit more than normal to look around his boyfriend. His eyes were suspiciously bright and glinting as he surveyed Harry's form.

The jade-eyed wizard nodded. "Just curious about this evening's announcement- must have dozed off. Did you want something?"

Quatre nodded. "Do you have an extra inkwell- mine won't last until I get back to our rooms?"

Harry dug through his pack before pulling out one of his extra wells and tossing it to the blond. Quatre caught it and smiled brightly. "Thank you, Harry."

The Gryffindor nodded back in response and looked down at his own parchment, noticing very neat and precise notes on the paper. Apparently multi-tasking was child's play for Zero-upgraded Harry now.

"Granger, what would be the reason for splitting the Mandrake leaves exactly down the middle?"

Harry tuned out again as Hermione answered the question easily. That would be another complication in his somewhat self-appointed mission. Ron and Hermione had been both uncomfortably closer to him since his return and yet saddeningly distant. While they might have been more wrapped up in each other- and Harry felt that distinct, embarrassing 'third wheel' vibe a lot these days- Zero was ill-at-ease at the thought of spending too much time around Hermione and Ron. Each one would notice his off-behavior perhaps even more than his bodyguards, simply because they had known the 'old' Harry.

If he wanted to hit another base- and soon- Harry needed to think of another way of distracting his constant, Big Brother group. Mandrake leaves were out this time; constant use did tend to build up immunity and Harry refused to tamper with his friends' memories again. There was a bigger chance of getting caught or even damaging them.

Unfortunately, their last foray into Memory Charms had shown Harry that Zero couldn't be trusted to be……rational when they entered Heero's mind. The sudden entrance and harsh scanning of the Japanese wizard's memories could have left mental scarring had Harry not recovered fast enough, and he didn't relish trying to explain why Heero suddenly couldn't form basic sentences for no apparent reason.

Something would have to be planned out before his next attack. That last French base would be the most logical choice, and then he could focus on cornering Voldemort and Dr. J in England. On home soil.

Decided, Harry spread his focus more outward than internally and hoped Snape wouldn't try to question him this class- he didn't like loosing house points because he was right for a change.

* * *

Potions ended with excitement and the Gryffindor hourglass thirty points lighter much to Harry's disappointment. Squeezing out into the crowded corridor, he had barely a split-second's warning before Heero's hand clamped down on his arm and yanked him closer. His dark blue eyes glared angrily at the mass of students all trying to get to back to their dorms and up to the Great Hall quickly.

A few students jostled the stationary duo, making them both flinch slightly as the other four pilots caught up with them. Heero turned them both into the cover provided by the extra bodies and all but growled. "I want Potter out of the mess."

Four brief nods had Quatre and Wufei carving a path through the bodies for them while Heero practically hugged Harry to his side and let Duo and Trowa cover their backs.

A flash of amusement made Harry snicker softly. While he had openly admitted to having a large dislike of crowds ever since his kidnapping, this…..maneuver was ridiculous. The words 'Mr. President' and 'Secret Service' crossed the green-eyed wizard's mind as they dashed into a relatively more empty side hall.

Harry pulled away from the comfortable warmth of Heero's body and looked at his five friends. "All that was missing in that show was the black suits and sunglasses."

Quatre cleared his throat slightly at the reference. Duo grinned widely.

"And those little ear piece walkie-talkies." He added. "Those are amazingly underappreciated."

Harry quirked his amused smile in Heero's direction when the other teen kept close to him. "I'll take your word on it." Side stepping to walk around another student in the hall, Harry was surprised to find Heero all but glued to his side as well. Quick reflexes kept them from crashing into each other as Harry shot his blue-eyed bodyguard a look. "Are you auditioning to be my shadow now, Heero?"

Heero was non-pulsed by the question and starred back easily. "All of the excitement and confusion is the perfect cover for one of Voldemort's followers to try and take you out. One of us must be close enough to you to intercept a bullet at all times."

Harry was just as surprised by the soft snort that came from him. "It would more than likely be a curse, not a bullet and if its emerald green it'll kill you on contact. Dead bodyguards aren't of any help to me."

"We were hired to die for your safety if need be." Trowa pointed out from three paces behind them. "Some would say a dead bodyguard is one who did his job right."

That familiar feeling of rage snuck past Zero's defenses again as Harry spat back, "I don't want anyone else to die for me!"

Silence followed the explosion, only Quatre's jerky breath- as if he were in pain- could be heard. Harry's hands clinched themselves into fists as he spoke.

"The Killing Curse can't be blocked by magic at all- only by the body of another or the….sacrifice of someone dying in your place. So if we're ever attack and there are by chance five killing curses thrown at me, then what? I'm just as bad off as I was before you five came along."

"We understand the risks, Harry. "Quatre said calmly, although his eyes flickered over to Trowa's form. "We would not have accepted the mission had we feared death."

"Dumbledore will simply employ more bodyguards to keep you safe." Heero replied, as if talking about their deaths and replacement, should that ever happen, was just like talking about their homework.

"But are you not the best?" The Boy-Who-Lived said quietly. Zero was following his train of thought farther down the line and flashing the red 'ERROR' message like mad. Harry ignored him and continued on. "Hotshot Preventer Agents at seventeen, wizards to boot……." He swallowed and took the plunge. "………former Gundam pilots."

It was disturbingly satisfying to watch them jerk as a group, like puppets all connected to the same string. For the briefest moment, Harry had even seen complete and utter shock on the faces of Trowa and Heero before Duo tried to speak.

"How- Did- You KNEW?" He said his voice slightly strangled.

Harry nodded solemnly. "It's amazing what a library can just squirrel away- old news reports, pictures, vids…..wanted posters."

Duo flushed.

While the explanation wasn't exactly true, it wasn't false either. Finding out that his bodyguards were actually famous war heroes had Harry scouring the library on the sly for anything he could find about them. Duo's capture and subsequent wanted poster had been one of the few things he'd found on the five of them.

"Of course," Harry continued, feeling a bit smug. "The little jibes you shot at each other were a bit of a giveaway. Heavyarms, Nataku, Sandrock, Deathscythe and Wing." **'And Phoenix.'** Zero added slyly.

"Okay so maybe we haven't exactly been subtle-" Duo admitted but was stopped from continuing by Wufei.

"Do you have a problem with our involvement in the war?"

Harry nearly gapped at him. _'Is he trying to find a fault in me again?"_

'**Obviously.'** Zero chided.

"It was war; you did what you had to do." Harry said, feeling a sort of camaraderie with them. He understood their burden, to be the sole savior responsible for an unfathomable number of innocent people. It was hard on the mind, body and soul. "I understand more than anyone here at Hogwarts just what it means because…..because ….it's my fate as well."

It was an almost awkward silence that followed, but understanding hid there too. It seemed to Harry that the group's way of operating had changed suddenly. The other pilots were at a disadvantage now and Harry was the one who held all the cards.

Finally Heero asked the question that must have been burning on all their lips.

"How much do you know?"

Harry shrugged and continued walking. The hall had long since emptied- everyone on their way to the Great Hall. "Just what the public was told. How a pilot from each cluster of colonies joined to fight with the rebellion against OZ. Their home planet corresponded with their pilot number- and the names of your Gundams." He looked at the five trailing behind him. "Nothing was found abut your names or appearances," he reassured them. "Just a bunch of stuff that seems too important for public eyes to make them feel special."

"Geez, and you still figured it all out…" Duo ran a hand through his bangs with a deep sigh. Something made the braided wizard's shoulders slump dejectedly. Harry cocked his head to the side as he looked at his saddened friend.

"Why are you so concerned about my knowing?" he asked in no little confusion. "I suppose you all rightly assumed that the Wizarding world was completely out of touch with the muggle world…….." Even Zero was unsure of the group reaction to Harry's next words. "I hate to tell you this, but other than the muggleborns and possibly some half-bloods, you're not really anyone special here."

Duo straightened, looking a bit like an excited pet of some sort. "Not even to you?"

'**Not in the way he's thinking.'** Zero said slyly. Harry ignored the program to shrug. "Been there, done that. I've even got the scars to prove it."

Harry decided he very much liked to make his bodyguards laugh or pretend not to smile.

Heero had a very nice non-smile.

* * *

The Great Hall was practically over spilling with excitement and giddiness. Quatre had to stop a moment and compose himself before even attempting to enter the crowded room.

The noise level exploded into life as the doors opened, making Harry stumble. Heero caught his elbow automatically and Harry stiffened with the urge to curse his Japanese bodyguard and the desire not to hurt him.

"Sorry." He murmured out of the corner of his mouth. A hint of actual embarrassment pinked his cheeks. "I've come to dislike loud, noisy crowds."

A spark of thing warm shot across Heero's deep, blue eyes, almost like a shooting star of life and emotion. "So have I."

The look- or natural phenomenon, as Harry was shocked at seeing such a look on any part of Heero's face- was gone before anyone else could witness it but Zero confirmed its existence. Harry ignored him for a better thought.

Heero had really nice eyes.

Ron, Dean and Seamus were completely immersed in counting the amount of money their bets had accumulated while Hermione glared furiously at her beef stew.

Neville was petting a smaller version of the Venomous Tentacula while Ginny looked torn between the duty of the shiny prefect badge on her chest and finding out just how many galleons her boyfriend had made.

Catching sight of Harry and his gaggle, Hermione gave a deep sigh of relief.

"Finally, someone with some sense! Harry! Sit here with me, please."

Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Years all budged up along the benches that made up the Gryffindor Table to give the five late-comers a spot to eat. Heero and Trowa only gave the bushy-haired girl a nod of hello before turning their attention to the meal that had appeared before them. Heero tried the mashed potatoes and gravy while Trowa tested the grilled chicken breasts before Harry was given the 'Okay' to eat. No poison had been detected in either of his favorites. Duo thoroughly inspected the pumpkin juice, humming as he poked it with his wand.

"Clean as a baby's bottom. Hey….don't babies wear diapers?"

Quatre sighed, clearly exasperated. "It's 'Smooth as a baby's bottom.'" He looked at Wufei sharply. "Why don't you ever correct his mistakes? He's yours."

Duo bristled like an angry cat. "Oy! Duo Maxwell belongs to no man."

His boyfriend raised one coal black eyebrow and the braided wizard laughed nervously. "Other than Wufei here."

Harry distinctly heard a slight whipping noise come from the vicinity of Trowa's mouth and a small rumble of a chuckle from Heero's chest.

Hermione sent her best friend a strange look. "Are they always this…..? Entertaining?"

Harry smirked slightly. "This is tame."

The Gryffindor Head Girl blinked. "Oh."

"It makes more sense if you know that Trowa was once a circus clown." Harry said softly, eating his food in swift efficient bites.

Hermione looked at the tallest of the five in no small amount of surprise. "Trowa?!"

"I was an acrobat." He replied to the disbelief on her face. "I also trained the lions."

"Dude, you wore spots, stripes and little yellow stars. You used make-up. Face it, you were a clown." Duo chomped down on a chicken stripe before swallowing. "And you let your crazy sister thrown sharp pointy objects at vulnerable parts of your body. So maybe you were a suicidal clown. That's a redeemable quality."

Hermione's face was a twisted mess of confusion and slight fear as Dumbledore stood before his students.

"Good Evening, everyone! I hope the suspense and excitement hasn't caused any lasting damage to Hogwarts or her faculty."

Snape scowled darkly before Professor McGonagall jabbed him harshly in the ribs with her elbow. Remus looked a bit worn and smiled tentatively when Harry caught his eye. Harry tried to return the gesture without looking too uncomfortable. He hadn't spoken to his defacto-godfather ever since exploding at the man for treating him like a child a few days ago.

Harry and Zero guessed this was the normal time people took to forgive each other, but neither really had that much experience in all the ceremony of friendships. Ron and Hermione could fight for months on end and the spat between Ron and himself had lasted weeks in their Fourth Year.

Dumbledore waved his hands at the noise level created by gossiping witches and wizards.

"Settle down, settle down." The talking and excited clatter of utensils continued. "Silence." Still no reaction from the students.

Professor McGonagall stood from her seat and shouted. "SILENCE."

All noise ceased and a thundering silence moved into the Great Hall. Dumbledore turned to his deputy- headmistress and smiled. "Thank you Minerva."

"Now," His violet and sky blue robes shimmered in the candle light as the Headmaster swept his attention back towards his students. "Times have darkened in recent light of certain events. While the destruction of a previously unknown Headquarters of Voldemort's-"A collective shudder ran through the students at the Dark Lord's name. Harry rolled his eyes at his five bodyguards, prompting Hermione to kick his shin.

"- army has come, it has come at the price of finding a Death Eater among us." Heads swiveled towards the silent and brooding Slytherin House. Harry's gaze immediately caught sight of a paler than usual Draco Malfoy. Silver eyes took on a certain glint as they stared at the Gryffindor's green ones.

Draco wanted to talk with him.

'_About what I wonder.'_ Harry asked himself. It had been Malfoy's boyfriend whom he had ousted as the enemy. Was there any resentment? Ill-will? Had the blond Slytherin known?

'**We shall see.'** Zero pointed out, directing Harry's attention back to the Headmaster.

"I tell you this not to scare you, nor to force you to choose a side." Ageless blue eyes seemed to bore into everyone as Dumbledore looked around the room. "I tell you this because you need to know what is waiting for you beyond these walls. Voldemort's darkness is far-reaching and it won't be long before the troubles of the outside seep into our home. "A withered hand rose to sweep the room.

"Hogwarts will always be haven to those who need it, but when the time comes to fight, I entreat upon you to not shriek from yourselves and chose your own path- to do what you believe is right."

In the heavy silence that followed, Zero decided to post a complaint.

'**There was no need to speak prettily. Inefficient and cunning. Stirs false courage in humans and drowns common sense and logic.'**

Harry snickered silently. _'Dumbledore's always had a flair for being flowery and deadly when publicly speaking. Nothing he says or does is ever in any way evidence of his manipulations.'_

Zero paused. **'He is much more dangerous than we first thought.'**

Harry agreed.

"That is why, with the agreement of the majority of your Professors, to help keep spirits high this year at Hogwarts an old event had been reborn." Dumbledore's smile was that of a benevolent grandfather.

Harry jerked up in his seat; panic making his heart beat double time.

"He wouldn't dare……"

"What?" Heero demanded sharply, disliking the look of horror that seemed to be dawning in his charge's eyes.

Hermione groaned. "Oh yes he would. And I can bet you I know who was against this charming idea."

Harry blinked. "I never thought I'd actually agree with Snape- on anything."

Quatre had one hand hovering over his chest. "Harry what-"

Dumbledore threw his arms out to the crowd. "That is why this year, we will be hosting a Yule Ball."

All of two seconds remained silent after that speech before the message finally caught up in everyone's mind- mostly female minds considering the loud screaming that followed.

Trowa shuddered. "This is bad."

Harry felt the urge to run, very far, from the castle that had become his home. "You have no idea."

Dumbledore had to send up several bouts of violet sparks before anyone even attempted to calm down and let him continue. "Attendance is mandatory. A partner is not necessary and up to personal discretion- although we do intend to encourage inter-House partnerships."

Excited whispers continued as the details were given out. Lavender Brown was already chatting to one of the Ravenclaw Seventh Years behind her.

"There will be a six o'clock to nine o'clock ball for those in First, Second and Third Years." Groans came from the disappointed Third Years of every House. "The ball for Fifth, Six and Seventh Years will then begin at ten o'clock and finish at one o'clock on Christmas Eve. This is a formal occasion- dress robes are mandatory."

A smile crossed the old wizard's face. "I shall look forward to seeing you all there. Good evening."

Almost as one the population of Hogwarts surged to their feet and started to combine into a chattering mess. Zero and Harry stayed at the table, in no mood to venture out into that again. Ron, Dean and Seamus had to face the dozens of students who wanted their bet money. The three Gryffindor looked more like they were facing Azkaban.

Hermione growled softly. "I'd better keep the masses from killing my boyfriend and his idiotic friends." She smiled. "I'll see you in class, Harry."

As she walked away, the jade-eyed wizard noticed one other student had foregone the crowd and stayed seated. His white-blond hair wasn't the best for trying to be inconspicuous.

"Malfoy wants to talk with you." Heero said gruffly. Distaste was obvious in his voice. The Professors had all left the Head Table when the students had trickled down to a small group trying to escape the Great Hall. It had been a rather tiring day after all. Only Harry, Draco and the Gryffindor's five bodyguards were left.

"I know." Harry said lightly. "I'm going to see what he wants."

Heero clamped down on his arm warningly. "Not alone."

Harry pulled free of the grip with surprising ease. "It's the six of us against him- and I can take care of myself."

Quatre shook his head. "That's irrelevant. It's our job to protect you from harm. From what we've gathered, Draco's father is a very important member of Voldemort's Inner Circle. His right hand if you will."

Harry nodded. "Yes but Draco has turned down a place in Voldemort's ranks. He's on our side."

Even Zero was sure of this fact. The Slytherin had nothing to gain by faking his loyalty and drawing the fury of the Dark Lord on himself. While Draco's intentions were anything but selfless, they were not evil.

'**The prophecy is irrelevant if any witch or wizard holding ill-will against you could take you out. It has to be Tom Marvolo Riddle himself.' **Zero did what Harry would have called a snort on anyone else. **'You might even have killed yourself by accident if the prophecy hadn't named your enemy.'**

Harry stored that fact away in him mind as he tried to plead his case.

"Zabini was Malfoy's lover. I helped put him in Azkaban. I owe this to him."

Duo's face was unreadable. "That's not going to make us agree to it."

"Why not just take one of us over with you?" Wufei demanded suspiciously.

Harry sighed. "Because he will not speak freely around the five of you." An idea suddenly came to life behind his eyes. "What if we both sat farther down the table here? Far enough away for him to feel comfortable speaking with me and close enough for you to intercept him if need be?"

Heero didn't look appeased. "What's stopping Malfoy from killing you?"

Harry smirked. "The fact that the five of you would reach him before he could escape. Draco's a Slytherin- they're always looking out for their own skin before anyone else's."

Harry caught Draco's eye and the five Preventers had to agree.

* * *

Draco Malfoy sat across from Harry with a raised eyebrow.

"Still on a leash Potter?"

The Gryffindor shrugged. "We have no reason to trust you considering the circumstances."

Draco dropped the mask. Actual earnest flashed in his eyes. "I had no idea Zabini worked for the Dark Lord."

Zero scanned the other teen's body for lies.

'**No deception.'** It said after a moment. Harry scowled.

"How can you not notice that your boyfriend suddenly has a new tattoo?"

Draco tisked. "He didn't have the Dark Mark before term would be the obvious answer." Pink fought to flush the Slytherin's cheeks. "Come September we were sharing the dorm with four other wizards. Suffice it to say sex was done with the lights off."

Had Zero not been a stuffy computer program, Harry would have called the slight jump in its numbers a 'Duh!'

Harry frowned again. "You didn't notice any change in his behavior? Zabini didn't disappear at odd times?"

Draco scoffed. "You are under the impression that Zabini and I felt anything other than a healthy dose of teenage lust for each other. We were simply a rest stop for each other on the road to what we really wanted."

Harry didn't like the look in the blond's eye at those words. All of the Slytherin's badgering made a bit more sense now. "I see."

Draco cackled at his expression. An amused smirk crossed his lips. "Say Potter about the Ball-"

Harry growled and stood. "No, Draco."

The Slytherin sent him a smug look. "We'll see."

His bodyguards rose swiftly at the look on the Gryffindor's face as he approached. Duo's mouth snapped shut as Harry growled out. "Stupid Ball will be the death of me already."

His jade eyes flashed back to the blond Slytherin who was ambling slowly out of the Great Hall. "Unfortunately we can trust him. There was nothing between Zabini and Draco- just two flamingly gay guys taking care of each other's needs."

Quatre looked amused. "That all?"

Harry glared at him, daring the empathy to continue. Quatre just laughed and started for the doors.

"Let's go back to our rooms. We can look through a few catalogues for our dress robes."

Duo rubbed his hands together before grabbing Wufei and pulling him towards the doors. "Ooohh, my favorite part."

Stuck between Heero and Trowa, Harry felt vaguely afraid.

* * *

Quatre and Duo searched through the catalogues like they were some sort of ancient text on fashion. Pages were left open in the books scattered across the coffee table and floor, some pictures were poked or prodded by a wand or two and questions about fabric and color were demanded to be answered.

It all felt like some sort of scared ritual really. The air around the two wizards was somewhat serious and sharp. Each article of clothing was just as important as the next, the color and the shade of that color as well as the type and the feel of the fabric all debated as if they were political issues instead of potential piece of clothing.

Tempers were soothed, ideas quickly brainstormed and decisions made before Duo grabbed two of the catalogues and thrust them into Heero's and Wufei's waiting hands. Quatre gave one to Trowa and shooed him off before handing Harry his.

A tingle spread over him fingers first than his hand and finally up his arm and through his body. The feeling of something much more lighter than his regular Hogwarts' uniform flitted over him as Harry looked own at his new outfit.

It was the exact same tint as his previous dress robes- inkbottle green was his color after all- but the cut was different. It was more form-fitting; snug around the shoulders, chest and waist before flaring out dramatically. The robes ended at his just above his knees, edged in a thick black border. A flash of crisp black pants could be seen before a pair of high, black leather boots encased Harry's calves and feet.

Harry blinked before looking at the catalogue in his hand. His thumb was covering something shining stuck on the page. Lifting the digit made the robes disappear in a puff of dark swirling smoke.

'_Ah, an illusion spell.'_

Standing next to the fireplace stood an oak armoire, shining in the orange glow of the flames. Harry strode forward, keeping his thumb back on the illusion enabler as he opened the door of the case that held the mirror.

A stranger looked back.

It wasn't the Harry Potter of three years ago, dressed in dress robes and waiting nervously for the Yule Ball.

It wasn't the small, frail looking eleven year old who had started out at Hogwarts looking like the uniforms were trying to swallow him.

It wasn't the Harry of six months ago, the one from before his Zero-ing up of sorts. That Harry would have looked ridiculous in this sort of get-up; under confident in everything he wore.

This wasn't really the improved Harry and Zero staring back at him either. This was more like the part of him that Snape and Sirius and to some regard Remus saw- the part of him that was undeniably James Potter. It was cocky and confident and…..handsome.

His thoughts cut off as Duo re-entered the common rooms. He grinned at Harry in his own similarly cut robes in the darkest black. In the light a hint of red shone through.

"I knew those boots would go great with that robe. How do you feel?"

Harry picked at a piece of non-existent lent off his illusion robes. He was hesitant to say anything about his sudden discomfort in his own skin but….

"The person in the mirror looks like me….but it's not. Not truly."

Duo blinked in confusion before understand flashed in his eyes. His robes swayed as he walked over to his friend and looked at them both in the mirror.

"It is you- just all prettied up and sparkly. Another face of the many that make up who you are." He grinned softly. "Just be yourself and you'll see it."

Harry shot another look at himself in the mirror as a feeling of bitterness crept up pass Zero's defenses. He wasn't sure who he was anymore these days. "Sirius would approve."

Another door clicked open as Quatre and Trowa walked out. Trowa was wearing black robes touched with a deep green trim on the cuffs and collar. Quatre's robes were bright white, shot with hints of sky blue in the stitching.

Harry suddenly understood why Quatre and Duo had been the ones to pick out the potential robes- everyone looked proper, like they really were on the verge of growing up, instead of children playing dress-up in their parents' clothing.

"We'll need to do something about Harry's hair, when the time comes." Quatre said, looking over his two friends critically. His robes were nearly straight down to his knees and cut close to his smaller body. Instead of high, hard leather boots, a pair of soft, flexible leather dress shoes donned Quatre's feet.

Harry turned back towards the mirror, trying to flatten his messy hair as two more doors opened. In the mirror, Wufei's dark red robes were very nice. The cut was somehow Asian- although Harry couldn't place how he knew this. Perhaps it was the collar or even the way the robes fastened diagonally down the other teen's chest.

It could have very well been the golden dragons embroidered into the fabric.

Duo crossed the room to molest his indecently handsome lover as Quatre exclaimed. "Heero, those look very good on you!"

A sudden inexplicable fear made Harry freeze in his position. For some reason he did not want Heero to see him like this. It didn't feel like he was Harry in these clothes and it terrified the Gryffindor that Heero would see that.

Zero seemed to tire of Harry's feelings of deficiency, or was simply curious as to what Heero looked like- as Duo had said- all prettied up and sparkly. **'This is illogical. Zero One cannot read your thoughts and you cannot see him through the back of you head. Turn around.'**

Feeling foolish for his fear, Harry turned and blinked.

Heero's robes were a dark blue cross between his own and Wufei's. Silver buttons held the robes together, in a straight line just off center of his chest. The collar was Wufei's but the flair of the robes were Harry's.

Even the black, leather boots matched.

The slight changes made each robe uniquely different; while Harry's gave off an air of mystery and darkness, Heero's looked more…..military.

Giving the Japanese teen's robes the same study he'd given the others let Harry notice just when Heero had seen his own.

Dark blue eyes, almost an exact match to the color of the fabric, widened. Those same eyes took in the similarities and differences of their clothing, with a slow, hot burning look making Harry's skin tingle.

Heero's eyes looked like that unearthly blue that lived in the center of the hottest fires as he studied Harry.

Zero faded into white noise and the chatter of the others was muted as those eyes held Harry captive. It was like watching the sparks of a fire jump when you'd spent the day out in the cold- impossibly blue and alive when they looked at _him_ like that.

Quite suddenly, something forceful dulled the flames, snuffed out every spark and locked the matches in a safe as Heero turned away from him, leaving Harry breathless.

"They are satisfactory." The Japanese wizard declared, before striding back into their rooms.

Harry let the others talk about their robes alone, not noticing the gleam of triumph in Quatre's eyes. His own jade-colored eyes stared at the picture on the catalogue, wondering what he would have to do to make Heero's eyes light up and look at him that way again.

* * *

A/N: Damn it, you all have no idea how tempting it was to have Heero throw down his magazine and say to Harry "That's it! You, me and a tube of lube in the broom closet. Are you in or not?!"

But I didn't because I think you can see where the problems are going to come into play. Heero's going to be stubborn but Harry's going to be worse. Pretty Little Lies will be the next big update. I'll force it out of me with a crowbar if I need to.

Hey I forgot to do these for the last few chapters:

Please review: For every review not written, A Harry/McGonagal fic is written- in which Harry turns out to be a tom cat animagus and they have disturbing cat sex. Ew- my brain it burns!

S. Tangerine


	11. Expectations

A/N: Okay this chapter is slightly massive. It's got action, angst and Ron in it. And some more Heero/Harry slashy hints- but only a few. They should be getting...bumpier in the next few chapters. Let's just say that no one is just falling into anyone's arms and someone will cause a lot of friction between the two of them. Two someone's really.

Thanks to eveyrone who pointed out my stupid mistake in forgetting to put the Fourth Years down for a ball- they will be in the Second section, the later dance. I'm trying to logicize that by GoF where you had to be in 4th year or above to go the the Yule Ball that year.

Thanks for all the reviews!

* * *

Chapter Eleven: Expectations 

Was it possible for a person to be gone while they sat not even a foot to your right?

Logic and Zero told Harry it wasn't physical but metaphysical- that Heero hadn't left so much as retreated into himself. He was there but he was holding himself back and away from Harry.

And that hurt.

Nightmares that had previously been held at bay- or smothered until they were silent- by Zero began to resurface. The absence of Heero's live, steady, warm protection had Harry gasping awake in the middle of the night, still thinking he was trapped as Black Emerald and strapped to that cold metal table.

Those nights, the Gryffindor found his Japanese bodyguard starting awake as well, sometimes jolted by Harry's gasps but other times he was already wide awake and dark eyed.

As if his own nightmares were bugging him.

A few nights even found the Gryffindor waking to find the bed beside his empty and a low light from the fireplace burning under their bedroom door.

Of course, they slept with the much dimmer ceiling lights on, over the table that they spent many nights eating at instead of venturing out into the Great Hall. Firelight was different though- a warm, soft and flicking orange glow that seemed to dance on the floor.

That was partially why Harry awoke again to their empty bedroom and was puzzled by the lack of fire glow around his door.

_'Where has he gone?'_

Zero beeped into life from stand by. **'Unknown. Investigate for possible danger.'**

Harry agreed and crept silently from his bed, moving so cautiously that not even his springs creaked at the shift of mass. The door was a bit trickier, what with Hogwarts being such an old castle, and the shining gold handle gave off an audible click as it turned.

Heero's head shot up at stare at him as Harry stopped and hesitated at the doorway. Zero urged him to move but indecision kept Harry still- did Heero even want his company anymore?

"What's wrong?"

Heero's voice was sharp and he made to stand before Harry stepped through the doorway and into their Common Room.

"Nothing- couldn't sleep."

The Japanese wizard's brows furrowed. "Restless?"

Harry shrugged as he took a seat across from him. "Somewhat. Sometimes your mind runs away from you and drags back pieces of dead memories you'd wish would stay buried."

That seemed to register with Heero. "Nightmares."

Harry nodded reluctantly before adding. "Same as you, I suppose."

The other teen stiffened and withdrew from the conversation- from Harry- like he'd been stung.

Zero gave what could have been a computer's version of a frustrated sigh. Harry did the actual thing.

"Merlin, not this again. Heero _please_ don't."

He obviously had no idea what Harry was asking, if the Gryffindor had gotten any better at reading his stoic bodyguard over the last few weeks.

"You've…….pulled yourself back. Ever since the announcement of the Yule Ball. Like…" Harry trailed of until his eyes caught sight of the small bowl of fruit on the table. "…like an orange peel without the middle. You were just Heero on the outside and empty on the inside."

Heero had one of his few unreadable looks snapped in place at his charge's words. If he and Zero had to name it, they would have called the expression uncomfortable and guilty.

"I…..am sorry." Harry knew those words came hard for Heero. "I didn't know it was noticeable."

Harry looked down at the smooth table top, suddenly feeling vulnerable somehow. Zero was just as baffled as he was with this strange turn of events. "It was. Even Hermione has noticed it and she barely has time to speak to me anymore- but that's my fault too. I….don't feel comfortable around them anymore."

Heero seemed to catch up on what Harry was truly thinking and frowned. "My problems are not your fault, Potter. My- that wasn't your fault."

Harry glanced up briefly through his own shaggy fringe of hair. "Are you sure?" He didn't wait for Heero's nod. "It felt like it was- like this was a punishment from you to me, for something I didn't know I'd done."

"I-" Heero began but Harry cut him off with a wry smile.

"I know you're sorry. Now."

The Japanese wizard cleared his throat. "I was merely…surprised by someone that day. I do not take surprises easily."

The Gryffindor smiled even as Zero pointed out that that someone who had surprised the other teen could have possibly been Harry himself. "Neither do I."

That bright fire that streaked briefly through Heero's eyes before flared to life and Harry knew that he was back. Without needing to say a word, the silence was comfortable again as Heero finished his tea and Harry made to follow him back to their bedroom.

The plan was so wild and fragile; it hit him like a smack- unseen and incompressible until contact. Almost absently, Harry's left hand grasped the phoenix pendant hanging around his throat.

His hand was up, just enough to level the spell at his friend. Heero didn't even twitch at the contact- the Natural Sleep Spell was undetectable until sleep was induced. The bathroom would be his cover again.

"I'm heading to the toilet." He sent Heero a stern look. "Go on without me."

Heero didn't crack the grin Harry had been hoping for but he did seem to give off an air of amusement as he nodded. "I'll wait for you."

_'No, you won't.'_ Harry thought, feeling a bit guilty at the whole idea. Zero suddenly felt hesitant.

**'Can we accomplish the mission? We have merely six hours and thirty minutes.'**

Harry ambled towards the bathroom door, thinking. _'If we burn our thrusters at maximum capacity we should arrive back here at six hundred and two hours. Wake up is at six hundred and thirty hours promptly. Plenty of time to destroy that last French base.'_

**'Affirmative. Proceed with the mission.'**

A trill of something flooded Harry's veins- adrenaline, his mind supplied- as he waited sixty seconds before peeking in on Heero.

The Japanese wizard was flat on his back, a slight hint of violet pulsing around his form. The great thing about the Natura Sono Spell was that it actually put its victim into a natural sleep that could only be broken by the caster's will. The only down side was that it had to be lifted in twenty-four hours or the subject would fall into a permanent coma.

That was what had the Ministry labeling it a Dark Curse. A darker thought drift up- five years in Azkaban for that. Like it would be anything after committing mass murder.

A part of Harry shuddered at even thinking about using such a spell on anyone- never mind_ Heero_- but Zero quickly showed him that bar death, in which the spell would break anyway- the possibility of him being gone long enough for the spell to sink that deep was almost zero.

It was a risk Harry was willing to take as more and more of his mind booted up to Zero's programming.

Closing the door silently, the secret pilot snuck into the bathroom, and easily opened that small but effective little window. For a moment, Zero wondered why the others hadn't barred it off or put an alarm on it but the idea was quickly pushed aside and it eased open quietly and Harry let go to Zero completely.

Both pilot and program became a single entity; the ultimate, efficient soldier.

The self appointed mission was easy- find the base that was hidden thirty miles outside the limits of the city of Perpignan and destroy it.

Simple and direct. Leave no enemy alive.

Mission accepted.

In the exact same manner as before, Harry jumped from the window, landing in a crouch on the ground. The glass closed gently behind him, hiding his escape.

The crunch of the frost-hardened grass under his bare feet was a testament to the fact that Harry had let the Zero Program take control- it gave no heed to physical discomfort if it was not necessary and the improvements on Harry's body from Dr. J would keep its human host healthy.

However, the numbers scrolled, and told Zero/Harry that the other pilots would get suspicious if unexplainable wounds were found on his person, quickly making Harry spell himself a pair of running shoes and a jacket out of a fallen tree branch and the stiff grass.

Then he ran.

Absently, while Harry kept his guard up, Zero compared what it remembered of pilot 01's speed to what Harry could now achieve. Harry was faster. It really came as no surprise, simply because with Zero One Dr. J had had to watch his steps or the other Doctors would have noticed how much he had changed his pilot.

With Harry, the insane scientist had been free to do whatever he pleased.

Reaching the wards, Harry suddenly stopped. Dumbledore was present at Hogwarts this time and messing with wards as old and powerful as those surrounding Hogwarts was dangerous and stupid. And time-consuming- something Harry had little of.

He couldn't transfigure himself into something without having another person to reverse the spell. His wandless magic was good but it wasn't that good!

**'Time!'** Zero reminded sternly making Harry huff silently in frustration.

If only he could become some sort of animal-

The thought was barely across his mind before Zero brought up the memory files of his failed attempts at becoming an animagus. J had been furious that Harry, even as Black Emerald, refused to give the transformation his all. Neither Voldemort nor the doctor had realized that Emerald had already been making his plans to escape by that time and letting his enemies know his animal form would have been a very bad mistake.

Zero/Harry shifted through his memories quickly, finding the right way to call upon his spirit animal. A witch or wizard's animagus form came from their personality and their type of spirit. Few could handle the immense strength it took to look into ones self and see clearly exactly what you were- making it impossible to transform. They either saw the animal they wished they were or what they wanted to be- not what they were regardless of social trends or silly wants.

Thankfully, Harry had always had a rather clear view of himself, no matter what anyone else really had to say about him.

His wand tucked back at his side, Harry closed his eyes and….shifted.

It was an odd feeling at first, even for someone who had a computer program embedded into their brain. His body seemed to alter itself and slide around, bones floating through his insides to transfigure themselves into the appropriate shape and muscles shrinking to be accommodated.

Finally thick, black fur sprung out on Harry's previously smooth skin as his teeth sharpened and elongated. A sleek, black wolf stood where a wizard once had.

Like his godfather had done four years, Harry confidently crossed the Hogwarts wards, registered as an animal instead of a sneaking wizard. Even if the wards registered magical potential, it would impossible to distinguish an animagus from another magical creature such as a centaur or a unicorn.

Whether Harry's presence warded off the other animals or if he had just chosen a relatively safe part of the forest was unknown as nothing showed up in Zero's radar or in Harry's line of sight.

A clearing just big enough to hide his Gundam was his destination- as far as possible from the place in which Heero and Harry had caught Zabini. Nose to the ground and ears perked for any sound of unwanted witnesses, the wolf secured the perimeter before closing his eyes and quickly shifting back into Harry the wizard.

Wand in his hand, the clearing flashed in a quick succession of multicolor spells, obscuring it from sight, silencing its sound and erasing it scents. Both Harry and Zero disliked the idea of revealing Phoenix to Ronan or Merlin forbid, the angry centaur Bane.

Quickly unclasping the pendant and necklace, Harry whispered the words that would reveal the Gundam- in Parseltongue.

-'A Phoenix always rises from the ashes.'-

Harry and Zero both considered this to be a rather brilliant way of keeping the Gundam safe- the only other Parselmouth Harry knew of was Voldemort and the chances of someone stealing Phoenix while Harry was in it or had the mecha around his neck was almost ridiculous.

Besides, who would really think to use Parseltongue on a phoenix? They were considered to be rivals in this day- Dumbledore and Voldemort respectably, both cast in animal form. Only Harry would see the irony in him being the one to join them.

Zero made his disapproval known as the necklace glowed that dark green-black that was Phoenix's color. Harry told it to shut up- it wasn't like they knew a transformation or transfiguration spell that didn't have some sort of ridiculous cloud of smoke or flash of light.

Wizards were inefficiently loud and showy sometimes.

The trip cord connected to the cockpit's entrance glided down silently to meet Harry at the foot of the Gundam and Harry had to wonder, as his hand curled around that thin piece of wire, if the other pilots felt like they were coming home every time they'd stepped into their own Gundam.

* * *

To say that Evan Rosier was a tad bit nervous to be running the last standing Death Eater Headquarters in France was an understatement. 

When news of the destruction of the base just outside of Paris had come, Evan had been sure the Dark Lord would blow someone up just because he could.

When news of Mulciber's capture had come, their Lord had gone frighteningly quiet before pulling a whimpering, weeping Pettigrew's arm up. His wand had barely touched the Mark before every Death Eater had felt the boiling, bubbling pain of Mulciber's end.

"That is what happens to those who fail me." Lord Voldemort had never looked more fearsome, and Evan had hoped, frantically, when the position of head of the Perpignan Base was announced that he would be passed over as another unimportant minion.

That, he thought bitterly, was probably why he'd gotten the position in the first place. The Dark Lord had a way of knowing exactly what you didn't want to do and how to make you do it.

It was a bit of a reassurance to know that his underlings had more experience than Mulciber's had. These were seasoned fighters with a wicked taste for the Dark Arts and the know-how to use them.

Of course, when the report from the mole in the French Ministry had reported to the Dark Lord, Evan was sure he'd wet himself, seasoned fighters or not. Dumbledore had not planned the attack on Mulciber's base and neither had the Ministry. In fact, both groups had been just as stunned at the whole bloody fiasco as the Death Eaters had been.

Only Lord Voldemort and his creepy muggle sigh-in-tist seemed to have any idea of who could have caused so much destruction in such a devastating attack.

The answer came when Lucius Malfoy had had one of his 'dinner parties'- also known as the weekly DE get-together- and Rookwood had come in late with news from the British Ministry.

"Either Dumbledore is playing dumb or he's got no idea that Potter's gone rogue." He said, confusing Crabbe and Goyle easily. "The Aurors got part of a word off old Mulky before his brains boiled themselves out of his nose-Phoenix."

To be honest, Evan wasn't sure what was worse- having an unknown third party killing off his fellow Death Eaters or knowing that the experiment of the insane scientist his Lord had picked up was out seeking revenge.

Or that that bloody experiment was Harry Potter.

That one name had the same affect on Dark Wizards as Voldemort had on the Wizarding World in general. Very few Death Eaters- bar Lucius, who was too proud to admit his fear of the boy and Bellatrix, who was too crazy- wanted to tangle with the one person who had brought down the Lord once before and seemed to evade his grasp at every turn.

Of course, they would- if only because a Crucio would be waiting from them if they didn't, but that didn't mean they weren't a gibbering mess beforehand.

Even Evan, the heir to the Rosier line and all around Dark wizard, would admit, if only to himself that he had a fear of Harry Potter, before Doctor J had gotten a hold of him.

Now, he was terrified of the boy.

He had seen that wizard do things for his Lord that only Bella seemed to enjoy doing, just because of a couple of words. The physical feats had been mind boggling but the magic had been unbelievable. All that power- in one person.

More than once, Evan had found himself wondering how anyone, even his Lord, could think all that power could be contained or controlled by anyone other than Potter himself.

When Potter- or Black Emerald, as J had demanded they call the boy- had escaped, things hadn't looked too good for the sadistic sigh-in-tist. The Dark Lord had tortured him for days, as well as those who had failed to capture his perfect soldier. Lucius had suggested, when the Daily Prophet had announced that Potter had no memories of his imprisonment, that they reveal what their precious Boy-Who-Lived had been doing all this time.

That had been nixed when a swell of sympathy for the boy-hero had shown up in the newspapers. That course of action had more disadvantages than advantages- Potter, and his cat-like ability to always land on his feet, would probably end up revealing his amazing skills and give Dumbledore's Order an edge in the war or the public would turn against the wizard, which was nothing new to him in the first place.

So the Dark Lord had given his followers one standing order- Black Emerald and Phoenix were to be returned to him and Doctor J for punishment and reprogramming. Damage was acceptable but the Gundam had to be in repairable order and Black Emerald had to be alive.

Lord Voldemort wanted his weapon back- at any cost.

"Lord Rosier, midnight watch has been changed for the night. Are there any other orders before we retire for the night?"

Evan liked the man before him. Robert Emes had some kind of actual military background- a soldier for the muggle organization OZ or something like that. He was smart, swift and strict which was just why he reported to Evan directly. He made a great Second-In-Command.

"Excellent. If the base is secure then you can head to the barracks for the night."

Emes almost saluted before remembering that most pureblood wizards had taken to liking a bow as a show of respect. Evan watched him do so with a pleased smirk.

Power definitely had its privileges.

His own quarters were much more ascetically pleasing than the soldier's barracks. Evan had a private office, bedroom and bathroom, as well as the only fireplace big enough to Floo from.

Shrugging off his robes, the dark wizard quickly made his way to his bed, feeling the stress of running the base to his Master's demands.

Still, the Perpignan Base was still standing and midnight watch had changed without so much as a bump in the routine.

It was twelve forty-three and everything was clear for another night.

That was the last though Evan Rosier had before drifting off to sleep.

That was also the last thought he'd had before two thirty-one AM, as the crunch of a Gundam's foot smashing through his bedroom ceiling awoke Evan Rosier, just long enough to see his coming doom.

* * *

Harry grit his teeth and handled the controls with a forced sort of ease. Phoenix was flashing warnings and stats everywhere while Zero was rattling off possibilities and an endless supply of observations in his mind. 

While this might only have been the second base they had hit, it was the first of the two to try and hit back. Very few of these soldiers seemed to lose their heads at the sight of a Gundam looming above their fragile bodies, intent on death and destruction.

That was probably why, with the base half- way annihilated, Phoenix's left arm was only at eighty-five percent efficiency while Harry had an overhead console shaped bruise on his shoulder and harness burn on his neck.

Somewhere under all the scrolling numbers, beeping buttons and flashing lights, Zero had the nerve to complain about needing to find time to fix Phoenix along with destroying the other bases.

'_Let's just try to finish this one off first.'_ Harry snapped, evading some sort of heat spell as he dug his thermal sword into the south-west wall of the base.

'**A Beam Cannon would have been more efficient.'** Zero commented and Harry wondered if computer programs could sulk and snark.

'_As well as being Heero's signature weapon and a bit too flashy for sneak attacks, Wing Zero's Beam Cannon would light up the sky like a nuke and alert the bigger officials than the French Ministry.'_

'**The Preventers would create a problem.'** Zero agreed. **'Dodge left for maximum damage to base and minimum chance of a direct hit to Phoenix.'**

Harry followed the instructions immediately, trusting Zero to lead him. A few Death Eaters tried to run, only to find death under the foot of a towering Gundam. Harry looked away from the scene, guilt and disgust making his throat dry.

'_You seem to like that….maneuver a bit too much.'_ Harry complained to Zero, who had issued him the order.

'**It is simple and direct and followed the mission plan. No one must survive this attack.'**

Not for the first time, Harry had to wonder why.

**'To end war one side must completely eliminate the other, or total peace can never be achieved.' **Zero had answered the unspoken question anyway. Harry grimaced as he kicked down another building.

'_Perhaps it does, but when does this cross the line? When will I be no better than those I kill? Or am I already past that point?"_

'**You regret.'** Zero pointed out, understanding a bit more about his host's sensibilities. **'You feel guilt and remorse about doing what you must to protect the innocent. When you stop that, when you truly feel nothing for what you've done, then you will be lost.'**

Harry stood back from the smoldering ruins of yet another of Voldemort's bases and took a shaky breath. He'd done that- him and him alone. It was still…shocking how easily Harry could take life.

Killing should never be so easy.

A flick of a switch had Phoenix invisible as the cracks and flashes of Aurors apparating to the burning base. Wand tips were searching the rubble and surrounding area as Phoenix rose in the air and surveyed the scene.

'_They are looking for survivors.' _Harry thought, with a jolt. _'Merlin, how many people have I killed tonight? How many men and woman were in that thing?'_

'**They were not innocents.' **Zero reminded him. **'This was your enemy. Only one of you can survive in this battle.'**

'_That doesn't make it right.'_ Harry argued, feeling strangely.

'**It does not make it wrong either.' **Zero countered before reminding the Gryffindor of their time limit. Harry turned Phoenix in the direction of Hogwarts with a sigh. A sudden thought hit him like a punch.

'_I did that once.' _He reminded Zero. _'I have killed people without feeling remorse or guilt. When I was Black Emerald.'_

Zero was silent for a moment, and Harry was almost afraid the program would agree with him, until it whispered.

'**No you did not. Orders and mission from Voldemort were not carried out by your will- just your body. You cannot kill without regret.'** Softer, it added. **'That was me.'**

Harry fiddled with the controls, keying in his coordinates and scanning his radar religiously. It was odd….there were times he could almost swear that Zero felt emotions. Yet, it always claimed that Harry was the emotional one of them. Zero was logic and perfection and detached resolve. Harry was instinct and wild and passionate strength.

He snorted._ 'I thought you couldn't feel emotions?'_

Zero beeped warningly. **'I can tell you the definition of each emotion and to which scenario each one can apply to but I cannot describe how they feel or apply them to myself. They are but a sequence of letters and words that are useful in application but otherwise have no place in my programming.'**

Harry nodded, but secretly wondered how anyone could do what he'd just done without any sort of emotion at all.

* * *

Head of the Auror's of France, Renee LaPierre usually liked his job. 

He helped keep the world safe, from dangerous criminals and magical creatures to Dark Lords and their followers. It was a great feeling to know that people slept better at night, knowing you were watching over them.

However, the last few weeks had left the Auror with the horrible urge to go into an early retirement.

Really, the world had to be going mad if an Auror found himself investigating the destruction of not one, but two of You-Know-Who's bases, as a crime. Especially if both…..events were at the hands of an apparent vigilante…. phoenix.

Renee was stuck between wanting to kill the person responsible for this mess or hug them for being on their side. First, he had to prove that this attack was connected to the first.

Aaron Murphy stood to his right, scratching his head in slight confusion. His dirty blond hair was disheveled from a sudden awakening but his blue eyes were bright and alert.

"There aren't any traces of unfamiliar magic here- offensive or defensive. Only the signatures of the DEs and their wards…." He pointed to burnt-black piece f rubble. "But it's obvious that this place was burned down at times. Other walls are simply a pile of rocks- like something stomped all over them."

LaPierre grunted before adding softly. "Per'haps someting did."

Murphy shot him a look, his mind going back to their last similar case. The American sighed gustily. "There are no survivors so far. This time our perp was more….thorough."

LaPierre looked at the destruction with an unreadable expression. "I 'ave to wonder eff zis perzon is reely a criminal."

Murphy jerked I surprise. "With all due respect Sir, take a look around. Most countries consider this an act of mass murder."

LaPierre shrugged. "And yet, eff zee Brit'tish Ministry 'ad gotten 'old of zese people, zey wood receive The Kiss. A fate far worse zen death." He arched an eyebrow. "Besides, zere is no zuch ting as murder, in a war."

Murphy made to respond when another Auror's shout caught their attention.

"Commander! We 'ave a survivor! Come!"

Both Aurors took off running, pushing other witches and wizards out of the way and jumping mounds of rocks and cement. One of the older Aurors, Calhoun if Renee wasn't correct, had his hands on the belly of their victim? Suspect?

The witch was struggling to breath, his grey streaked hair matted in places with blood. Her skin, wrinkled and lined, was a pale-grey color. She wouldn't make it to see the Healers.

Quickly, LaPierre dropped to his knees and began to question the old woman- in French. Murphy grunted and tried to keep up. His translation was sucky at best.

"You are dying, Grandmere. Tell me the name of your killer and I shall ease your suffering."

She laughed bitterly, the action quickly turning into a wet gurgling cough. Her eyes were dazed with pain. "Ease it? I highly doubt you would have the nerve. Go away, little boy."

The French man frowned. "Would you tell us nothing? You're loyalty has left you broken and for dead in the dirt- would your Master really care?"

The witch jerked against the pull of death, her body arching painfully. She swallowed thickly, a line of blood still making its way to trail down her chin. "What does it matter you ask? I should have been so sharp. Still stuck between an impossible choice you see. No one stands against the Dark Lord, but no one can stand against the Phoenix. One steals your freedom; the other damns you for being weak." She coughed roughly before whispering. "And I was so weak…"

Her eyes clouded as life left her batter body. Only the crackle of small fires and the shifting of cloth against cloth could be heard around the scene.

Then, La Pierre sighed. He touched the pendant around his neck.

"Geet into contact wit Dumbleydore. 'Ell him zee Phoenix 'as ztuck again."

* * *

Oh six hundred hours beeped in Harry's mind as he gently touched Phoenix down into his clearing. His eyes and senses quickly caught whiff of the slowly dying spells still hiding his presence. Zero suggested they dissemble and be quick about it. 

Harry huffed at the program. Had it always been this pushy, and he'd just never noticed it until now?

The cockpit latch was lowered with a soft woof of displaced air and a quiet mechanical whirl before Harry could climb out and survey the damage to his Gundam.

A few scrapes that had already begun to smooth themselves out were dismissed as jade eyes took in the mangled piece of metal hanging off of Phoenix's left arm. The one shot that had actually hit dead-on.

**'We must be faster next time. Any shot landed could be fatal. Any shot landed could result in a failed mission.'** Yup, Zero was miffed at the damage.

Harry sighed before rubbed his head tiredly and wincing. That overhead console was going to be adjusted before the next mission- Harry's head and shoulders wouldn't survive the experience if not.

_'Let's just get back to the safe house and release Heero. I don't like leaving him like that.'_

**'It was an impulsive action that led to a successful mission- it was necessary.'** Zero seemed to be back to itself as Harry grabbed the trip cord and lowered himself to the ground.

Wand out, Harry reinforced the wards around the clearing before whispering the counter-phrase to turn his Gundam back into a pendant.

-'Flesh to ashes, the circle continues.'-

The black-green glow made Harry wince slightly before his hand clasped around that now familiar necklace and quickly slipped it around his neck.

Six hundred and ten hours. Damn, he had to get back before someone woke up and found him missing.

The transformation into his animagus form wasn't so uncomfortable or lengthy the second time, and before long a sleek black wolf dashed past trees and shrubs and underbrush wildly. It was a…relief to be free again.

A squirrel scurried up a tree in fright as Harry broke through the thinning trees and onto the grounds of Hogwarts.

His green eyes widened briefly before a quick retreat was made.

Hagrid was up, at six in the bloody morning, weeding the pumpkin patch. Harry cursed mentally while Zero quickly began creating alternate routes to take to get back to the bathroom window while slowly counting down the time like a doomsday device.

A soft snarl sounded before Wolf-Harry took off again, skirting Hagrid and the Zabini clearing easily.

Oh six hundred and twenty hours beeped in his mind as the castle came into view. The window was still dark, making Harry sigh in mental relief. No one was in the room or possibly awake. His entrance wouldn't be found. Zero urged him on, wanting to reach their safe house quickly and assess the situation there.

A running leap had Harry transforming in midair before his hands caught the ledge and his feet kept his body from slamming into the unforgiving stone wall.

The window was pushed open gently, ears perked for any sign of unrest or trouble in the rooms.

Silence.

Harry huffed, halfway in the window and pulled his wand out. The counter-curse for the Sono Natura was whispered before his feet even hit the floor.

The messy-haired wizard watched the magic disappear under the door before finally letting him relax into himself again. His shoulders ached slightly and the harness burn on his neck was stinging but other than that he was fine. Normal even.

He grabbed his robe out from the linen closet and quickly began undressing. _'Might as well get a shower before the others wake up.'_ Harry thought slowly pulling his shirt over his head and putting his arms in the right holes of his robe.

Oh Six hundred and thirty hours beeped idly in his mind as the door to the bathroom clicked and shot open.

"Duo!" Harry's face immediately took on an outraged expression, hoping that the red in his cheeks would be taken as embarrassment- and that the robe around his shoulders would hide the bruise. The braided wizard put his hands up to show 'no threat' as he spoke.

"Ha, I knew you were in here!" Seeing how…wrong that sounds, the braided wizard grinned weakly. "Sorry, man! I was just checking up. You did disappear on us from the bathroom before."

Harry huffed angrily, although his friend was right. He had disappeared through the bathroom window again- but no one needed to know that. "I was awake before the alarm and decided to use the shower."

**'A hidden truth.' **Zero complimented nicely.

Duo shrugged, looking completely unrepentant at the fact that he'd simply barged into the bathroom. "Okay, Harry. I was just making sure. It didn't hurt-"

"Didn't hurt?!" Harry said, feeling strangely emotional. Zero was letting his true feelings on the matter shine through. "You should have knocked and asked through the door if I was alright. I could have been naked, for all you knew! I- I could have been wanking!"

Silence followed Harry's little outburst as Duo's mouth popped open in shock and surprise. Harry felt the flush that had been receding from his cheeks turn into a blush as his mind caught up with itself.

"Did you just make a sexual reference?" The braided wizard asked, looking for confirmation. Harry nodded slowly.

"I think I did."

"Are you hitting on me?"

"What!? No!" Harry felt vaguely scandalized.

An amused smile graced Duo's face. "Got ya." He cocked his head to the side. "Then what was that?"

Harry blinked before trying to explain himself. Zero had abandoned him to his embarrassment, the filthy traitor.

"That was…… me simply…. naming out very obvious….and normal things for teenage boys to be doing in the bathroom."

A quirked eyebrow told the Gryffindor how much his friend believed that one. "You're not a normal teenage boy, Harry."

"Well, maybe I'm practicing!"

Duo snickered. "Is that what you call it?"

Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath, willing the blush from his cheeks. "Get out Duo."

"Hey, you brought it up. Figuratively speaking."

"Now, Duo."

Harry let the door snap shut and sighed with relief. Another mission successful.

He froze as he heard Quatre's curious voice muffled outside the door.

"Duo- what was that? Is Harry okay?"

Duo chuckled loudly. "Yup, he's just _practicing_ being normal in the bathroom."

Harry groaned and hit his head against the door with a thump.

* * *

Heero Yuy was confused. 

To be honest, he was down right incapable of comprehending how he had went from laying down on his bed at a little past midnight to waking up at Oh six hundred and forty hours in the morning without a single memory of his transition into sleep.

He'd even slept through the beeping of the alarm clock.

It was unacceptable.

Anyone else would have simply passed off the experience as not getting enough sleep- something that rang true in Heero's case as well- but the Japanese wizard knew that he was not like everyone else. He was trained to awake to full attention at the mere displacement of air- he would have felt it if Potter had shifted around too much, forget gotten out of bed and left the room.

It was the fact that it didn't even appear that Heero had waited for his charge to enter the room before he had fallen asleep that was the most disturbing. Potter's safety was his mission, a mission he had both professional and personal stock in.

The idea that Heero would put his own comfort above keeping the other wizard safe was unthinkable.

Heero knew himself well, probably better than most people ever went in self-discovery. He knew he would never have willingly fallen asleep without seeing to Potter's needs first. Never.

That was why he had the sinking suspicion that nothing about his refreshing nap that night had been natural.

And that Potter was lying to him.

* * *

Trowa and Wufei had just entered the room with a breakfast tray when the sound of a very familiar voice cussing up a storm had Harry blinking. 

The portrait hole swung open to reveal a red-faced, obviously angry Ron. The red-headed Gryffindor stopped at the sight of the six wizards setting up breakfast, his blue eyes signaling out Harry's form quickly.

"I will never_ ever_, for the life of me, understand women."

Harry blinked and quickly put his plate back down on the table. "Okay."

Duo tried to suppress a smile.

Ron quickly threw his partially open book bag down on the floor and tried to fix his ruffled robes as he spoke. "Honestly, they say they want this to be a serious relationship. They want to take things slow." He flopped his arms up and down in a half shrug, half chicken dance motion. "How am I supposed to know what that means?"

Harry saw his bodyguards shoot each other slightly panicked glances. They were all guys here, but four of the six of them were confirmed homosexuals. They didn't really have a good grasp of the female psyche either.

Harry would never claim to be a guru on the psychological working of anyone- never mind girls- but Ron had been his friend for six years and he needed help.

Harry just hoped he could.

"What happened?"

Ron shot an uncomfortable glance around them room before clearing his throat and speaking. "This doesn't leave the room, right? I can't believe I'm going to tell you this Harry, but you've always been the one to try and make me and Mione agree."

_'Not lately.'_ Harry thought sadly. Things just hadn't been the same since his return, but it felt….nice to know Ron still came to him when he needed help.

Quatre smiled at the two. "We won't say anything. Just talk to Harry- we'll continue with our meal elsewhere."

Ron held up a hand. "No, you've got to keep him safe and stuff. It's okay." He sighed gustily. "Harry, I don't know what to do. Hermione's mad at me and she says I need to figure it out on my own before she'll speak to me again and Seamus and Dean were no help- they only laughed at me- and Neville was blushing so much I thought he'd taken a bite of some Nosebleed Nougat by mistake or something-"

Harry put his hand son his best friend's shoulders and shook him slightly. "Ron. Just tell me what happened."

Zero was expecting something rather silly and insensitive had occurred between the two Gryffindors. Perhaps Ron had made a comment on muggle-borns or House Elves or even witches in general.

The freckled Gryffindor scrunched his face up and just blurted it out.

"Hermione's mad at me because I wouldn't have sex with her."

Someone at the table behind the duo dropped their fork and let it clatter against their plate. Someone made a choking noise. The others were silent.

Harry let go of his friend in surprise before awkwardly starting to rub at his forehead. How did he get into these kinds of situations? Why did Ron think Harry, of all people, could be the one to help him with this?

**'Just try.' **Zero prompted as Ron's shoulder's drooped. **'Gather more information and solve the problem. Mission accomplished.'**

Harry internally glared at himself. _'Ha, ha. My friends' love lives are not missions.'_

Zero beeped. **'It is simpler to treat them as such.'**

The black-haired Gryffindor pushed his friend into a chair and quickly sat down on the couch across from him. "Okay. Hermione wanted to…" He couldn't even say it. Hermione was like a sister to him- the whole idea was kind of disturbing.

Ron seemed to understand his dilemma and nodded tightly. "Yeah."

"And you didn't?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

Harry blinked. "Why not?"

The very idea went against everything he knew about the teenage male. Ron was pretty much his model for the typical guy, everything he did that didn't seem normal was measured against what his knowledge of Ron's life had taught him.

Seeing his friend become an exception to the norm was frustratingly irritating.

The youngest Weasley male sighed again, playing with a loose thread on his robes.

"I want to do her right, you know? Hermione's- she's special. She's my best friend- besides you-" Harry nodded and let him continue. "So she's more than just another girlfriend. Mum loves her to death and Bill already threatened to leave me in the middle of Gringotts if I ever hurt her but I won't."

Even quieter he said, "I don't want to rush this and hurt her, Harry."

Well. Wasn't that oddly thoughtful? Truthfully, he had agreed with Hermione when she had once said Ron had the emotional range of a teaspoon. Turns out they were both wrong.

**'Administer preprogramed advice for efficient solution.'** Zero reminded him.

Harry ran a hand through his hair tiredly. "Did you tell her that?"

"No." came the low reply. Ron grumbled. "It's not like she gave me a choice either. Plus, that girl's mental and she knows that scary spell with those bloody birds."

The jade-eyed teen shot his friend a slightly dark look. "You spent most of last year with your tongue down Lavender's throat. Hermione is obviously seeing your hesitance about sex as you not being physically attracted to her."

Ron blinked and then gapped at Harry. Then a light seemed to go off behind his eyes. "When did you get so smart about these things?"

"It's simple logic Ron. Or psychology in this case."

"Oh. Muggle stuff…maybe that's why I don't get it."

Harry smirked slightly. "Maybe."

The scraping of forks against plates had the two wizards drifting off into silence, staring at the fireplace. The silence was slowly becoming awkward, and Harry was just about to offer Ron an out when the red head spoke again, surprising him.

"Haven't really seen each other much this year, eh mate?"

Harry shot a look back at his five…..friends? Whatever they were. Just what they needed to hear- more evidence of his strange behavior.

"Third wheel's really not that much fun, Ron."

A frown crossed his friend's face. "You know me and Mione don't see-"

"I know." He assured him, feeling vulnerable. "It's not just you guys. I'm….not the same."

Ron snorted. "Yeah. I didn't really notice it too much until you left. Dumbledore-"

Harry suppressed the angry bubble of emotion that surged up at his friend's sudden stop. Really, what did they expect him to do when they left him nothing to anchor himself to them? He had been left adrift by the only people he ever expected something from.

"I suppose I can't be told?"

Ron flushed. "No. Wish I could, mate but-"

"I can't be trusted." The words came out tasting bitter. It seemed to be a deep running well of anger behind those words as Harry found himself continuing. "You all thought I'd come back from there and still be your naiveté little boy-hero, the one who thought the best of everyone. No one likes how…jaded I've become."

"No! Harry-mate, that's not right!"

The words seemed to explode from Ron as he sat up straight in his chair. Vaguely horrified disbelief had morphed his face into something that resembled a fish.

"It's not like that- not, not completely." Harry watched as he stumbled over the right words. "I'm not going to lie to you and say it's not a matter of trust. We've got- we're go to be careful now, more than before, since you got captured."

Zero pushed the flicker of guilt away at those words. Harry always had had a trouble with guilt and to where-or who- it was appropriately allotted. He just tried to shoulder most of it himself.

Ron was uncomfortable again; his cheeks pink and his brow slightly damp, but his blue eyes were clear and steady as he spoke.

"It's- if anything, we feel guilty, mate. Everyone- Dumbledore, The Order, Remus, Mum and Dad, even Hermione and me."

Harry snorted, smiling softly at his friend. "What do you have to feel bad about? You guys have been my best friends- my family- for years."

Ron didn't smile back, his expression solemn. "Harry….we know what you're expected to do. You're the hero- you're going to save us because that's all you know how to do but we've…..we've been expecting you to do it all by yourself."

The jade-eyed Gryffindor blinked. "But…you and Hermione…you guys have helped me- the Philosopher's Stone the Chamber of Secrets- Sirius!"

"And it wasn't until I was a stupid, jealous prat during Fourth that I realized you're…you're just my age- younger actually- and we're all sitting back and waiting for you to charge into this madness all alone and save the day." Ron's face betrayed his guilt and his horror at the thought. "Harry, we expect so much of you- the least we could do is keep you safe, damn it."

"That's ridiculous, Ron. I don't want to put any of you in danger just to keep me safe."

The other teen sighed and shot him an amusedly irritated look. "Too bad. We are your army, Harry Potter. You're allies and your family. You're the king in this bloody chess match- err, not really." He added at Harry's scowl. "We've failed to protect you. Dumbledore went and put you with those bloody muggles and practically let you get captured! Merlin's beard, we couldn't even find you to come and rescue you- you had to save yourself. Again."

Harry felt….weird. His skin was warm but tingly- like flobberworms had taken up residence in his muscles. He didn't like feeling like this- he wanted it to stop. It felt threatening…or something.

Clearing his throat, Harry stood. "You should probably find Hermione before she can work herself up into a fit. I'd like to avoid another month long stint of playing messenger."

Ron looked at his friend's expression and nodded with a disappointed air. Harry didn't seem to get it. He'd just have to get his wayward girlfriend to speak to him.

"I'll let you know how it goes. Send a search party if I don't make it to supper."

Harry nodded and watched his friend leave again before heading towards the table. His five watchdogs had been surprisingly silent through the whole….ordeal. That seemed to be the right word for something so….trying.

Quatre opened his mouth to say something Harry guessed would be scarily understanding but Trowa deafly put one hand on his lover's in a signal to leave it alone. Duo seemed to be holding himself in tight check.

Heero shoved a bowl of dry cereal under their charge and pushed the milk jug towards his elbow. "Eat, Potter."

Harry didn't argue and quickly poured out the remaining milk.

'**That was informative.'** Zero commented as Harry poked at his cereal. His toast had stayed warm on the tray but the strawberry jam was almost all gone. **'We could use this to our advantage.'**

'_If you say so.'_ Harry responded as he watched Quatre and Duo prepare to bring back their dirty dishes. Feeling like someone was watching him intently, Harry turned his head to see Heero's intense bleu gaze on him. Something in those eyes told him to tread carefully. Heero was suspicious.

'_I think we have bigger problems.'_

Zero beeped. **'Affirmative.'**

* * *

A/N: Yup, another base is gone Ka-Blewy. I tried to make Ron as IC as possible but the situation has changed a couple of people- Harry most of all. And that conversation is based loosely on one I've had with my cousin about his girlfriend. It was...awkward and I wish I could burn it out of memory but it did make good fic fodder. 

Please review: For every review not written, Duo suddenly finds a mad attraction for Professor Flitwick. Come on, short and good at the whole Swish and Flick- who could resist?

...did I just write that? Eww...

S. Tangerine


	12. Coping

A/N: Yes, this is a short update but I'm making up for it by posting two chapters. Also, these two...scenes? Chapters? Moment?...whatever, couldn't really go together without making the chapter seem too scattered.

Thanks for the reviews everyone! They really help me get stuff rolling for the next chapters!

* * *

Just Another Perfect Soldier

Chapter Twelve: Coping

Harry figured it was lucky he had been in the room he shared with Heero alone when the owl had come for him. The slight tap against the glass had the Gryffindor on his feet, wand in one hand while the other reached for the spot Harry knew Heero hid his spare gun.

The owl blinked at him, unimpressed with the display and tapped again.

Zero took a step back from the confrontation- it didn't really like the idea of owl post. So inefficient the very idea; give a letter that held important information to a bloody animal who could be killed or intercepted easily? Especially when one had magic at one's disposal……. Harry just didn't let it get started. Damn program could rant- which usually meant listing and explaining various alternative solutions- for hours on the illogical malpractices of everything.

Putting the search for his missing eagle feather quill on hold, Harry cautiously opened the window and let the dark, grey spotted owl enter. The animal hooted in what had to be an annoyed fashion and dropped the letter curled up in its claws to Harry feet.

The messy scrawl on the outside of the parchment told him it was from Hagrid.

Heart pounding in his chest, the Gryffindor scooped the letter up and slid the ribbon off the end. The note was hurried and brief:

_**Harry,**_

_**Hercules is gettin' worse. You should come quickly.**_

_**Hagrid.**_

An ache formed in his throat at the words. He had known, of course, that the tortured owl wouldn't survive but it was another thing for that moment to finally come. Harry had begun, after nearly two weeks, to let himself hope…..

Cloak and scarf forgotten, the Gryffindor dashed out into the Common Room, startling the other three occupants.

Quatre and Trowa had taken a trip down to Hogsmeade to report to Commander Une of the Preventers. Heero had taken the first report, at the end of September while Duo and Wufei had taken October.

It was Sunday afternoon, which meant most of Hogwarts were spending their last few weekend hours completing homework. Duo and Wufei were no different, although Harry supposed reading all the books on the extra-curricular list wasn't necessarily homework…..

Heero was- predictably- on his laptop.

The Japanese wizard had been given the assignment of finding out the identity of the mysterious Phoenix. The name had been leaked to the press after Harry's second attack on Voldemort's bases. Opinions on the apparent turnabout of the Gundam and its pilot were varied but most of the Wizarding World was relieved to have another striking force against the Dark Lord and his followers. Especially someone who seemed to know exactly where to strike.

The Ministry hadn't been performing in the internal defense department, prompting the politicians to lash out at the dangerous vigilante roaming the streets. Only the Daily Prophet seemed to report on this side of the argument, other newspapers posting letters from supporting readers.

The five ex-pilots had shared an almost incredulous look at some of the letters, Harry joining them. To be honest, he'd never been so popular.

The three remaining bodyguards looked up sharply at the appearance of a flustered Harry, tense and on alert.

Jade eyes by-passed the couple at the table quickly, focusing on Heero's dark blue gaze before he spoke. "I need to go to Hagrid's. Now."

Heero didn't even question his charge, closing down the laptop with a click and rising to his feet. Duo frowned. "Do you need any back-up? I've only got….twenty-six more Arithmancy equations to complete."

Wufei snorted at the attempt to get out of doing homework, gently nudging the boy at his side." Duo…."

Harry shook his head anyway. It just didn't feel right, taking anyone else but Heero down to see Hercules. As much as he loved Duo's company, the braided wizard would try to diffuse the intense emotions with humor. Harry didn't want to be happy about losing a friend.

He'd have to be strong and silent and just bear the burden if he took the others- with Heero, Harry didn't always have to be so strong.

"It's okay. You finish your work and we will be back within the hour."

Heero gathered both of their cloaks and made Harry don his red and gold striped scarf before they left.

The corridors were nearly void of students, the few who were about totted books of all shapes and sizes. Heero let them walk right up to the Great Hall before speaking.

"What is at Hagrid's?"

Harry pushed the door open easily, pulling his cloak tighter around his shoulders.

"Hercules. He's…..fading."

Heero didn't offer any sappy, clichéd sentences but sped up his pace. Harry was grateful- he was feeling oddly open today. Raw was the word. He felt raw.

'**Stupid.'** Zero said sharply. **'You expected this outcome, why are you so unstable?'**

Harry frowned. _'You said you don't understand emotions- just leave this to me, someone who understands.'_

Zero beeped warningly. **'Do not get sloppy. Mourn your adopted stray if you must but keep yourself in check.'**

Harry ignored the program as the hut came into view.

Hagrid's face was pale and tear-streaked as he opened the door. The larger than life professor had sworn to do whatever he could to save the bird for Harry, even through the Gryffindor had told him it was hopeless.

"Yer got my message den? Good, good." His deep black eyes were shiny with guilt and remorse. "I'm sorry Harry. I tried me best, I did. He was jus' too far gone…"

Harry took a moment to pat the half-giant's arm before his gaze slid towards the dying owl on the table. It was obvious to see that Hercules would live up to his name- the little bird was valiantly trying to breath but his battered lungs were just too tired.

The breaths of air rattled and wheezed as they escaped the little owl's beak and Harry gently reached out to stroke his feather.

A soft coo of recognition let Harry know his presence wasn't unknown.

"Brave one. Hercules. You can rest now." He whispered as he watched the owl relax back onto the table and just….. stop breathing.

Hagrid let out a howl of grief, but Harry had been expecting it. Heero had jerked at the sound, reaching for his gun automatically. Without really thinking, the scraps of cloth that had made up Hercules' bed were wrapped around his little body as Harry's eyes scanned the room. A small packing crate box had been thrown onto the counter top, a bit too large to be a coffin but acceptable under the circumstances.

Gently, even though Zero told him the owl couldn't feel pain anymore, Harry placed Hercules into his box and slid the lid shut. The noise sounded very…..final to the Gryffindor.

Hagrid was still sobbing when he turned around, the box in his hand. The scene prompted him to direct the half-giant towards his rough wooden table and put the kettle on to boil.

"Watch the water, Hagrid. We'll be back to make sure you're alright."

Hagrid nodded absently, his great beard damp with tears.

Harry turned back towards the door and was…..pleasantly surprised to see that Japanese wizard had already found a small shovel for the grave.

His jade eyes showed surprise, the expression lighting them up briefly and the fire in Heero's eyes answered the flash. Something warm kept Harry grounded as he walked out the door behind his bodyguard, even though the occasion was solemn.

It had more than surprised him that Heero had known- could tell without words from Harry- that Hercules was to be buried without magic. The poor owl had suffered greatly at the hands of a wizard- to ease his passage into the next life; his burial had to be proper. Physical. Real.

"Where?" Heero's voice was low but clear in the cold November air. Harry looked over the grounds of Hogwarts, his mind searching for the perfect place from his memory files.

The box still secure, tucked close to his chest, the Gryffindor pointed to a grove of trees just North of Gryffindor Tower. He knew that it looked barren right now but come spring the tangled, leafless bushes would hold roses and the grass was plentiful all around.

"There, please."

Heero nodded and set his pace, something close to a respectful march but efficient and steady. Heero was always so steady.

Zero couldn't help but comment on Harry's choice.

'**Cypress? Oddly poetic of you.'**

Harry gave what he hoped was a mental shrug. _'Sadness and mourning are the appropriate emotions for a time like this. That much I am sure of.'_

Zero backed off from Harry's somewhat confrontational tone. **'Of course. This is your area of expertise.'**

Harry resisted the urge to bite back 'And don't you forget it.'

Zero probably heard it anyway.

The trees gave them cover as Heero, without prompting from Harry, quickly dug the shallow grave in the middle of the grove. It would be just deep enough that no scavengers would catch the scent and dig up the brave, little owl. Harry was grateful for the help as he laid the box in the hole.

His dark eyes looked around the cold, frost covered plants with a sigh. "No flowers." He explained at Heero's questioning tilt of his head. The tilt righted itself into a surprised, abet confused line as Harry sat down on the ground and worked off his boot.

One dark blue sock, obviously new, was laid gently on top of the crate. Harry didn't explain until his boot was secure on his foot, and even then his answer was directed to the strange pair in the hole.

"To set you free."

Heero didn't ask, simply accepted this to be another one of Harry's quirks as he began to cover the sock and crate with the misplaced dirt. As he worked, Harry made a quick run around the trees, bending to pick at the ground every few seconds.

One last pat was the sign to return as Harry walked quietly over to the grave with his hands cupped. Rocks, each roughly the same size, were dropped onto the disturbed earth before Harry knelt to arrange them around the burial site in a circle.

"It needs a marker. Something that wouldn't fade away completely by next year."

Heero watched his charge intently as Harry stood and just looked down at their combined effort. No magic, just Harry, Heero and what had been left of an innocent little owl.

Zero beeped warningly. **'Be careful. Do not lose control of yourself now or I will be forced to upload a momentary over-ride.'**

The Gryffindor blinked and swiftly pushed his swirling emotions back into the dark abyss that kept him stable.

Heero shifted. "Are you alright Potter?"

Harry shrugged. "It's just an owl. I'll be fine."

The Japanese wizard didn't let the other teen's apparent nonchalance faze him.

"Is it?"

The Gryffindor shot him an almost irritated glance. "Are you going to employ some sort of strange psychology and point out how I could be needlessly seeing the owl as a possible outcome of myself and what I had endured? Because if you are, I can spare you the trouble and say no, I am not."

Heero seemed to be fighting down a touch of amusement. "Okay."

The easy acceptance of his words made Harry blinked in surprise again- just what was Heero's problem with needing to invoke such emotion from him today? His fingers twitched with the need to run his hand through his hair; it had been a nervous habit his training had easily overcome.

His eyes drifted back to the simple grave. "It never gets easier."

It wasn't even a question, but Heero nodded his agreement. "No, but the hurt fades. After time, it fades."

Harry turned away from the sight quickly, his mind back on track. "We need to check on Hagrid before returning to our rooms."

The other wizard didn't hesitate to end their brief ceremony as he drew level with his charge. They were slow and quiet for a long time before Harry decided on a course of action.

"Thank you."

Heero said nothing, dipping his head just enough to let Harry know the words had been heard. It wasn't necessary anyway- he knew that Heero would always help him through these types of things. It was a given, not a gift.

* * *

Hagrid had cried himself to sleep before they reached the hut. The half-giant had fallen asleep on his large cot, his kettle moved into the sink.

Harry had shook his head fondly and left a note for his friend before they headed back to the castle. Students were already at Sunday supper, making the hallways deserted as they arrived unseen back at their rooms.

Trowa and Quatre had returned from Hogsmeade and had brought food with them as well.

Harry hung up his cloak and scarf, leaving Heero to explain their absence while he returned to their shared for a change of socks.

Duo was the first to notice the missing piece of clothing.

He blinked. "Hey……what happened to Harry's other sock?"

* * *

A/N: Yes, the owl died, but you knew that would happen anyway. Plus, this has some Heero/Harry moments….good right?

Please review- remember, for every review not written a Harry/Rufus Scrimegeour plot bunny is born. I'm just adding these things for the 'eww' factor now. And people seem to be oddly interested in them.

S.Tangerine


	13. New Light

A/N: See- more! This part is a bit too light-hearted to be with the previous part. But just as serious at time. Somehow. Point is two updates in one night! Shocker!

* * *

Just Another Perfect Soldier

Chapter Thirteen: New Light

"Harry!"

It took much more than Zero thought was necessary for the Gryffindor to not sigh in irritation at the sound of his voice being shouted down the hall. It was surprisingly hard to halt his footsteps and heed the voice as the urge to speed up and disappear into the crowd was almost overwhelming.

Even Quatre- _kind, reserved, polite Quatre_- let out a soft sigh of dismay.

Trowa shot their charge a veiled look of pity, making Harry frown.

You had to now you're situation was bad when Trowa offered you a subtle condolence.

"Draco?" The blond wizard asked softly, his voice holding a note of hoping that perhaps his guess was incorrect. Harry huffed just as quietly.

"As if I need visual confirmation anymore."

For the last two weeks straight, the blond Slytherin had cornered Harry after class and asked the quiet Gryffindor to be his date for the Yule Ball.

For the last two weeks, said Gryffindor had been soundly rejecting his annoyingly persistent Slytherin shadow.

Harry turned to face his daily torturer, just as the other wizard strutted out from the parting crowd of students.

"Are you ever going to give up?"

Draco tilted his chin higher in the air, coming off as completely arrogant and completely privileged at the same time. "When I get what I want. I'm a Malfoy, Harry- I always get what I want."

Jade eyes rolled expressively. "You'd think your ego would have been beaten down a bit by now."

Silver eyes shone with teasing- or that was what Harry guessed it to be. "Slytherins are certainly made out of stronger stuff than that. We are persistence personified. Which reminds me-"

"The answer is still no, Draco."

The blond quirked an eyebrow. "You don't even know the question yet…."

"It's the same question it is every day."

"Then maybe you should change your answer and I'll change the question."

Fed up, Harry turned away from his blond nuisance. "The answer is still no."

"We'll see."

The irritated Gryffindor glanced at his silent comrades quickly.

"If I ever say yes to that man, promise you will shoot me."

The request had been directed at Quatre, who frowned.

"I believe in pacifism, Harry."

The dark-haired wizard shot him a disbelieving look, his eyes glancing down at the place on Quatre's hip where he knew the blond kept his 9mm.

"I believe you're in the wrong profession then."

Quatre let out a small scowl, his brows dipping as Harry stalked forward silently. The blond wizard turned to his boyfriend.

"Why does everyone say that?"

Trowa wisely kept quiet.

* * *

Last period on Wednesdays meant that Heero had an hour and fifteen minutes completely to himself. No Duo and Wufei or Quatre and Trowa- and no matter ho much Heero actually liked the other ex-pilots, it was nice to get away from them.

Unfortunately, his alone time also meant no Potter, no matter how much the Japanese wizard was trying to tell himself that little fact didn't matter. The truth was Heero had never felt so…so out of sorts with himself yet so completely at peace than when he was in the jade-eyed Gryffindor's presence.

All those horrible clichés about love making everything seem so much better and brighter and wonderful were actually true.

It was all very inefficient and very annoying.

Strict training and misplaced good intentions were warring with his own wants and feelings and the distant voice of a man telling Heero to follow his emotions.

Heero frowned. It was one thing to live by your emotions, but it was another to let those emotions drag you kicking and screaming down a dark and unknown road.

Besides, Potter was unaffected by Heero and unreciprocative of his feelings. Actually, the other wizard seemed to be virtually unaware of both the males and females in the castle, battling Heero in Duo's book of 'Possible Asexual Humans'.

So Heero would leave things as they were, if only because it was the right thing to do. It was his duty to protect Potter and nothing more.

That mantra was what had the blue-eyed wizard doing repetition after repetition of sit-ups, stomach crunches, push-ups and various other exercises in his spare time. He needed to be in top shape to protect his charge in the most efficient way possible. Learning of his new magical abilities was in no way supposed to interfere with keeping his body in peak physical shape.

Most days, Heero could complete his routine in the time allotted and take a well needed shower before the other returned. However, most days, the young Preventer did not receive urgent emails from Commander Une.

The message had been sent beforehand, forcing Heero to type in his four fifteen digit access codes. The alert pinged Une back in Preventer HQ and Okayed her into sending the encrypted files once the line was secured.

Heero closed the lid on his laptop, setting the commands to save the translated document and close off all outside links to his computer after the transfer was complete.

The entire process took nearly twenty minutes off his alone time.

That was why Heero figured his could logically blame his whole mess on his Commander.

* * *

Harry had never dealt well with having the people in his life trying to make him do something he had no interest in doing. No one could make Harry Potter do anything, even when threatening his life and limbs.

You could ask the Ministry, Dumbledore and even Voldemort, if you got the chance.

The fact that Draco bloody Malfoy- who rated just above moss on Harry's significance scale at the moment- thought he could 'win Harry over' was hugely irritating.

Zero allowed a bit of the irritation to show- it made Harry seem more normal and the program was a mite annoyed at the Slytherin's low level of respect for its host.

His face was carefully blank; although anyone looking hard enough could see that familiar spark of anger that was so, so Harry it seemed wrong for it to be missing from his expression.

That blank expression skidded off his face and smacked the floor with a splat, as the portrait door swung open to reveal a towel-clad Heero.

Heero's eyes were somewhat wide at the sudden entrance, one hand gripping his knotted towel at his hip, the other reaching for his missing gun. Harry felt his own gaze being pulled up to his bodyguard's damp, dark hair. It was spiky and messy and silky looking…conditioner? Harry's fingers suddenly itched to find out.

His eyes slid down to the suddenly delightful curve of Heero's ear, down his smooth neck, which still held tiny droplets of shower water.

**'Marked increase of testosterone levels.'**

Harry felt as if his eyes were glued to Heero's chest as one glistening drop began to slide its way down Heero's golden neck, pooling briefly in the dip of his collar bone before rising up over that smooth bump and down across the beginning of one very nicely shaped pectoral muscle.

**'Marked increase in dihydrotestosterone.'**

The drop that had Harry so mesmerized curved its way down to slide off the tip of one dark brown nipple, pert from the difference between the air temperatures. Without their guide, Harry's eyes continued their journey down Heero's chest, catching sight of well- defined abs and lingering on the white lines of various scars.

**'Increase of internal and external body temperature.'**

Finally, his jade eyes came to rest on the simple, white towels Hogwarts supplied to all its students, although Harry was pretty sure a simple piece of cotton had never looked so…..nice on someone before. Or perhaps, he wondered vaguely, as his eyes skimmed over Heero's wonderfully shaped legs, it was just the model his had this time around that had Harry finally seeing the pleasing aspects of Hogwarts towels.

**'Slight increase in nitric oxide and cyclic guanosine monophosphate.'**

Words and images of things that hadn't even been a part of his mind began to crowd his thoughts and freeze his tongue at the very sight of Heero's skin. Distantly, even more so that Zero's chemical babble, Harry hoped his eyes would either tell all or nothing to the wizard before him.

**'Zero Three and Zero Four approaching.'**

Something seemed to register as that streak of heat, of lighting and stars, flashed across Heero's eyes again, melting some of the cold Zero had been forced to force upon the Gryffindor's own gaze.

One foot inched forward, just enough for Harry to tell before Quatre's voice broke into their conscious.

"Excuse me, Harry?"

The Gryffindor jerked at the words, feeling like he'd been trapped in a Full-Body Bind. His knees were…not like water but certainly of a more jelly-like substance as he whipped back around to find Heero's amazingly appealing body gone from sight.

A disappointed sigh tried desperately to well up in his throat but was viciously suppressed by the wizard-hero as he walked into their private common rooms and sat on the couch in confusion.

He had just checked out Heero Yuy.

Zero didn't lie when it came to the internal workings of its host and, according to Harry's vast knowledge of his body and the human body in general, the simple sight of Heero's nearly nakedness had caused the beginning of an embarrassing boner.

To make matters worse, Harry hadn't even known he was gay.

'**Homosexuality is a widely accepted way of life. There is no shame in it.'**

Harry fought back an incredulous noise. _'But…I've dated girls- well, a girl. I took one of the Patel twins to the Yule Ball during Fourth Year. How can I be gay?'_

Zero brought up Harry's internal memory bank and opened various files in quick succession. **'You only took Parvati Patel to the Yule Ball because it was mandatory that you acquire a date. Your confusing feelings for Cho Chang during your Fourth and Fifth Years can be blamed on the fact that Cho Chang is an extremely masculine female. You were attracted to her more male-like qualities.'**

Harry boggled secretly at the very idea. _'Are you trying to tell me I had a crush on Cho because she was just like one of the guys?'_

**'Once she began to exhibit more feminine characteristics, such as high emotional turmoil, your interest in her decreased to a very deep uncomfortable behavior.' **Here, Harry could swear that Zero was smirking. **'Besides, it was rather obvious to anyone who looked that you desired her selection of mate far more than Chang herself.'**

Merlin, as if Harry needed to realize he had been lusting after Cedric as well. It was bad enough that Harry had wanted to take Heero towel away and do unspeakable things to _his bodyguard's_ _body_- with his tongue.

**'You are surprisingly imaginative on this particular subject.'** Zero commented, making Harry twitch violently. Quatre and Trowa shot the silent wizard a worried look but Harry simply waved them off, grabbing his book bag to start in on his homework.

_'Can you not look into my private thoughts of Heero please? That is just…disturbing.'_

**'I can not comment on you thoughts of Zero One.'**

Harry flipped open his Transfiguration textbook moodily. _'Wonderful.'_

Zero did not take the hint to let the subject drop. **'However, I do believe that Zero One would make a suitable mate for you- the most suitable I have examined thus far.'**

The Gryffindor coughed suddenly, beating his chest with a closed fist at his two watchdogs's startled expressions- or about as startled as Trowa looked.

"Wrong tube." He explained hoarsely, mentally demanding to know exactly what Zero had meant by that last statement.

The program beeped in annoyance. **Zero One would make a suitable mate. He is intelligent and able to defense his own person should a fight arise. He is dedicated and loyal and has shown some interest in you. The probability of rejection is less than ten percent- remarkably low. If the affection runs deep enough, Zero One could be an irreplaceable accomplice.'**

Harry could hardly believe his own….mind. Zero was practically encouraging him to pursue Heero, not that the idea wasn't tempting. It was…..it was very tempting.

**'Plan your attack strategy. I will assist you if necessary.'**

Harry let his mind turn the idea over and over; trying to find unfixable faults in it as Duo and Wufei entered the portrait hole and Heero stepped out of his room. He was, unfortunately, fully clothed.

Duo put his books down on the table with a thump, raising his arms up above his head in a long, full-body stretch. "Someone remind me again why I took Arithmancy?"

"Because Wufei did." Quatre reminded the braided wizard with an amused smile.

Duo rolled his eyes. "Any other reason?"

"Do you need another reason?" Was Wufei's dry question. Duo grinned at his lover's turned back. "Nope."

Harry thought he heard those familiar whipping sounds come from Trowa's general direction.

A sudden beeping from the coffee table had six faces whipping around to stare at Heero's innocent silver laptop. The Japanese wizard quickly crossed the room, flipping up the screen before he even hit the seat. No one moved as dark blue eyes scanned the message intently.

Well, no one but Duo.

The other teen had no problems with striding over to peer at their stoic friend over the top of his laptop screen. "Whatcha readin'?"

Heero seemed to be ignoring his talkative friend, as was usual, but the sudden migrating of the quieter Preventer's eyebrows wasn't as usual.

Duo jerked back a bit from his place, giving his friend a strange look. Heero, much to everyone's surprise, sent the look back.

Blue eyes flickered in Harry's direction before focusing back on Duo.

"How sure are you that the Doctors were on the Libra that day?"

Harry quirked an eyebrow at the question, acting as if he had a very faint idea about what they were talking about.

Duo blinked quickly, taken back at the question. It had been nearly two years since the end of the war, when he had decided to leave their five mentors on that doomed ship and finish the battle. Then the Gundams had taken care of the Libra, personally.

"Pretty sure considering the door to their cell was locked from the outside and space suits only have twelve hours of air at the most. Not two years."

Wufei looked a bit stunned. "Why are you asking this now?"

Heero simply stared at the computer screen. "I received a message from Commander Une just under thirty minutes ago. It was encrypted. A specialized group of Preventer agents are now working with the British and French Aurors."

A spike of unease filled Harry at those words. It was one of his fears come to life. With the Preventers poking around in all things magical in Europe, it became more likely that Harry and Phoenix would get captured.

**'A disturbing complication.'** Zero agreed.

"Why?" Trowa's soft voice piped up. "What would bring any more of our team members into the Wizarding World?"

"In the last base that was destroyed, one room was only partially collapsed. Samples were taken from whatever had survived the attack and one hit a match in our database." Heero explained his voice flat. "It was Doctor J's."

Harry held back a flinch. Whispers and screams and dark memories tried to surge forward at that name and the Gryffindor found himself battling the urge to shrink back and babble with fear. Quatre inhaled sharply.

Duo sat back on his ass, his legs sprawled out in front of him. "What in the hell is Doctor J's blood doing in one of Voldemort's bases?"

Heero looked up. "That's what I'd like to know."

Harry was pretty sure, if Zero swore the words 'oh shit' would have been it's statement of choice.

Zero beeped in approval.

* * *

A/N: I just changed up my plans a bit here, ladies and gents. The guys might end up finding out about Harry sooner than I had thought. That's good thought right?

Interesting note- I actually looked up the chemicals that created Harry's little reaction but they could be wrong. -shakes head- my brain needs to be bleched now.

Please review- for every review not written, a Duo/Tsuberov fanfic is created. –Gag-

S.Tangerine


	14. Miscalculation Part One

A/N: -cringe- Gah, this is so late it isn't even funny…… well, maybe a little funny but God I seriously hate my job right now. People are unreliable and somehow I'm the person they try to pawn their shifts off on

Seriously, I was planning to get an update out during Christmas but I worked so much overtime they wouldn't allow me to work anymore after that. I've also had the flu, pulled a muscle in my shoulder and found out I am in love with Heroes, Death Note and Supernatural…… I've actually gone and bought all the DVD box sets of these shows. –sniffles- Can't find Gundam Wing anywhere though.

But enough excuses! Here is part one of the Great Reveal! –wink- If you get what I mean!

* * *

Chapter Fourteen: Miscalculation- Part One

Quatre Raberba Winner had a Very Bad Feeling.

There were days that being an empath meant being bombarded with everyone else's emotions. There were days when the blond wizard went through life feeling as if he had a seriously annoying case of déjà vu. There were also days when everything fell into place and Quatre could feel his own emotions- and the faint impressions of others- clearly.

The day that they received news of Doctor J's presence among the living had been one of the latter. The same day he felt- clearly- Harry's unimaginable terror at the name of the creator of Gundam Pilot Zero One.

It wasn't a complete surprise to Quatre- of the five Doctors, J was the worst. Heero never spoke of his training much- well, hardly ever if he were honest- but it had been obvious that whatever J had done to their friend had been Bad. Heero Yuy had been an emotionless machine with only one goal- peace at any cost. Life was cheap, especially his own and emotional attachments- heck attachments of any kind- were to be avoided at all costs.

The simple fact that Heero clamed up at the mention of his training told them all that there were horrors in this world only Heero could truly claim to have seen.

So the fact that Harry feared Doctor J wasn't so mind-boggling. It was the fact that Harry seemed to even _known_ the man that Quatre couldn't wrap his head around.

And yet…..it seemed to all be connected somehow. Harry had been captured by Voldemort just that summer, an experience he claimed to have no recollection of…….and Doctor J's blood had been found at one of Voldemort's bases. Had Harry seen the old scientist?

The worst part had to be not being able to just _ask_ their charge. The jade-eyed wizard had yet to mention his mysterious imprisonment and they had all seemed to silently agree that whatever problems Harry had been dealing with back in September were over and off-limits. The typical 'Ignore the Giant Elephant in the Corner' method men throughout the ages had perfected.

So asking Harry was just…out of the question, and so was bringing his worries to his friends. Quatre hated having to keep this a secret.

Trowa and Wufei were _finally_ warming up to the other wizard, and Duo saw their friend as a younger brother of sorts- or at least someone he needed, and wanted, to protect.

And Heero……..Quatre didn't try to read his friend's most private emotions, but he was almost sure that Heero Yuy was falling in love with Harry Potter- if he wasn't there already.

If the blond empath told their most stoic friend his suspicions, Heero would withdraw more deeply than ever into himself before confronting Harry about….someth- Merlin, Quatre wasn't even sure what his mind was accusing Harry of!

For now his hands were tied, but he hadn't been the best strategist of the five of them for nothing- the Chess Master. Quatre knew how important it was to watch your opponent, to study their offense and defense before using their strengths and weaknesses to his advantage.

He just hoped he wouldn't have to stop thinking of Harry as their precious friend and start thinking of him as a potential enemy.

He really, really hoped not.

* * *

Harry supposed the announcement of the discovery of the possibility of Doctor J being alive was both a blessing and a curse to his nerves. Every discovery had Harry jumping with nervousness, thinking the others had figured him out. He slept lightly, and Zero was on constant alert. More than once, Heero found himself with company on nights when the nightmares were too hard for even him to suppress.

On the other hand, the need to be extremely secretive- even more so than before- had made Harry figure out a way to repair Phoenix without needing to undo the transfiguration spell.

The tiny pendant had actually compensated for the damage on the Gundam's left arm by leaving the spot where the wing joined the body bent and slightly cracked. Harry believed- and Zero agreed- that in fixing the pendant, the repairs should cross over into Phoenix and fix the damaged arm.

It was worth a shot.

It only took a bit of guilt-tripping and fifteen minutes in the library with Hermione to find the right spells to do the job. The Phoenix pendant shone from its spot around Harry's neck, fixed and whole again, leaving the pilot with another problem to stress over.

He wasn't about to give up on his self-imposed mission to take down Voldemort and Doctor J but the Preventers posed a new danger. They would be looking for the connection between the Wizarding world and the new Gundam sightings this summer. If anyone looked close enough into Harry's disappearance and the appearance of the new Gundam they would be come suspicious. If they looked even closer into both cases they would see the marked change in the mysterious Gundam Pilot's actions had occurred at the same time Harry had escaped and recuperated.

If anyone informed his bodyguards of their discovery the jig would be up.

For the time being, the Gryffindor was hoping feverishly that the Preventers weren't as clever as they were rumored to be- or at least that the agents assigned to his cases weren't at their best and brightest.

It was a cold Saturday afternoon- the First of December- that found all six wizards spread about their cozy Common Rooms. Heero's fingers were flying over the keyboard of his laptop while Quatre and Trowa poured over a large map of Europe. Duo and Wufei were reading Auror reports and comparing them against any information the Preventers had gathered about the new Gundam.

Harry sat at the kitchen island and listened to their bantering of ideas and possible scenarios under the guise of completing a rather boring History of Magic essay while Zero was busy completing internal updates- the threat level was low enough to let Harry out to play by himself it seemed. It was both enlightening and frightening to hear how…..bloody intelligent his five friends were.

The Gryffindor looked down at his nearly complete essay in hidden anxiety. If anyone found out how much of it he had written just from his own personal knowledge he would be in trouble. The old Harry was just above average in most of his classes, not freakishly knowledgeable in even the dullest of goblin wars.

A knock at the portrait door startled them all from their activities. Harry made to stand but one sharp look from Heero had him sitting back in his seat sheepishly. Duo pulled out his wand and loosened a deadly looking knife he kept strapped at his waist from its holster.

Cautiously, the portrait was swung open to reveal Ron and Hermione. Both Gryffindors blinked at the sight of Duo causally twirling his wand between his fingers.

"What's up?" The braided wizard asked cheerfully, motioning Harry's two friends inside.

Hermione shot him a knowing look. "Do you always answer the door with your wand drawn?"

Duo was non-pulsed. "Nope. Never had one before, but it is fast becoming a habit of mine."

Harry was relieved to see both Gryffindors had their knapsacks and what appeared to be a few unfinished essays clutched in their hands. He sent his friends a small smile as they slowly drifted towards his seat.

While the ex-pilots had been his guard since the end of August, Ron and Hermione had actually had very little contact with them. Harry had spent his first month and a half after his escape trying to deal with the new programming in his mind. Dealing with his somewhat schizophrenic episodes hadn't left the jade-eyed wizard with much of a need to constantly be hovered over by his highly suspicious friends.

Even after assimilating Gryffindor Harry and Slytherin Harry into his psyche, he knew allowing Ron or Hermione to get too close would reveal what he had become at the hands of Voldemort and Doctor J.

The distance of their friendship now kept his secret safe, at the price of loosing what Harry had previously been: innocent.

"Hullo Harry." Ron said with a resigned sigh.

"Hey." He replied, a bit of amusement peeking out from his usual calm expression. "I'm guessing you still haven't completed your History of Magic essay then?"

Hermione snorted at the question, making her boyfriend flush red.

"Oy, it's not like I'm the only one! What was that you were scribbling about just before we came down here?"

The clicking of the keys on Heero's laptop became a bit more forceful, causing Harry to clear his throat meaningfully.

"Shhh." He said softly, casting an apologetic glance at his guards. Quatre smiled at their sheepish expressions while Wufei gave them what Duo had termed 'The Evil Eye.'

Hermione shifted nervously. "We came down to see if you'd like to go to the library to get some more thorough research material. Our textbooks are woefully brief on the Goblin Wars of-"

"Potter cannot leave without a guard present and we are currently unavailable." Heero interrupted harshly, his dark blue gaze intent.

Ron blinked. "Hey mate, it's just to the library and back. No more crazy adventures into the forbidden forest to visit those mad wizard-eating spiders, no more giant snakes or dementors or invisible, flying death horses." He grinned widely. "Just a bunch of books, dust and Madam Pince."

"Oh he is so not going anywhere alone, ever again, _now_." Duo declared before flipping to the next page of his report.

The room was silence for a moment before Hermione huffed. "Ron, that wasn't helpful at all."

The youngest Weasley male frowned. "How was I supposed to know they had a thing against the library? Merlin……"

Harry picked up a rather pointy quill and gave his friends each a sharp poke in the back. Catching their eyes as they turned to him, Harry smiled. "Let me handle it."

The two Gryffindors watched as their friend set his quill back down, rolled up his dried, partially finished essay and caped his inkwell before speaking.

"Heero."

The Japanese wizard didn't move from his position at his computer and his fingers didn't stop typing as his eyes flickered towards their charge. His very body seemed to emit 'I'm listening' vibes.

"It's just a visit to the library." One eyebrow rose in amusement.

"Mad, wizard-eating spiders, Potter." Heero parried, still typing.

"I need more books for my essay." Harry said evenly.

"Giant snakes."

Duo shuddered, muttering something about God damn snakes. Wufei nudged him gently.

Harry decided it was time to pull out the big guns.

"Please?"

Quatre froze, aqua eyes wide, as Heero's typing faltered just a bit. A frown marred his face as the blue-eyed wizard was forced to backtrack a few characters before continuing.

"Twenty minutes."

Harry couldn't stop the wide grin that crept across his face or the warmth that suddenly flooded his veins at the blue-eyed wizard's concession. Heero was perfect.

"Thanks." He replied, gathering his books slowly.

"Nineteen minutes and forty-one seconds, thirty-nine…" The other teen said warningly, keeping the smile from his lips as the three Gryffindors rushed out of the Common Room.

* * *

The silence after Harry, Ron and Hermione's departure wasn't filled by the clacking of a keyboard, the scratching of pen on paper or the flipping of pages. Heero looked up from his work to see four sets of eyes staring at him.

"What?" He snapped, irritated.

"You let him go." Trowa answered, a bit of surprise coloring his voice.

Heero let out a slow, quiet breath, a sure sign of his rising temper.

"Why?" Wufei asked, perplexed. "He is out of our range without any protection-"

"We could not keep him here, sitting in a corner and without the material needed to complete his school work because we are too busy to accompany Potter to the library." Heero pointed out, his voice dripping with the word 'duh'.

Duo smirked. "Sure, it had nothing to do with Harry saying please in that cute little puppy dog voice."

"Do your work Maxwell."

Trowa shared a look with Wufei as Quatre and Duo snickered and Hero tried to ignore the slight heat that had surfaced in his cheeks all of a sudden.

* * *

Not even the slight awkwardness of being with Ron and Hermione again could quell the heady feeling of freedom Harry was experiencing. While making friends with his guards had stopped most of his irritation of being guarded, it hadn't stopped the feeling completely.

Being alone- well mostly- and without them was….exciting.

"Are they always that mental about you?" Ron asked suddenly, ending his playful arguing with Hermione. The Head-Girl quirked her head their way to listen.

Harry nodded. "They're very….dedicated. Dumbledore couldn't have picked anyone better."

"What I find particularly interesting," Hermione began, hesitant. "Is how Professor Dumbledore found five….well, five teenagers who were not only wizards but skilled enough to protect you."

Zero beeped warningly, finished with his internal updating and clean up.

_'She is getting suspicious.'_

**'No duh.'** Harry snapped back mentally.

The jade-eyed wizard shrugged. "They are Preventer agents."

"But so young?" Hermione persisted, a frightening gleam in her intelligent brown eyes.

Surprisingly Ron saved his jittery friend from answering.

"Aw give it a rest Hermione." He said lazily. "Haven't you ever heard of a…what's the word….prodigy?" Ron snorted suddenly. "Of course _you've_ heard of it but that's not what I was going on about….."

Hermione's furious response was cut off as they entered the library. Most of the tables were full of working students and harried looking Sixth and Seventh Years.

Harry grinned slightly, nodding hello to a few of his friends as they walked by.

"Heero would murder me for not running back to him if he knew how crowded it was in here."

"Isn't he supposed to be _protecting_ you?" Ron grinned, darting around a group of confused looking First Years.

"If you think that will stop him you obviously do not know Heero Yuy."

"Quiet, moody, frighteningly Hermione-ish when it comes to his work. What's left to know?" The redhead asked jokingly. Hermione scowled darkly.

"I'll be in the Ancient Ruins section when you've finished with your childish behavior Ronald!"

Harry and Ron watched their bushy-haired friend stomp off towards the other end of the library. The jade-eyed wizard chuckled at his friend's positively baffled expression.

"What's her problem now?"

Harry clapped his friend on the shoulder briefly before giving him a shove. "Go apologize, you great oaf. Please think before you open your mouth next time."

Ron huffed before hunching his shoulders and trotting off to deliver his deepest sympathies for being a complete moron most of the time. Harry walked towards the History section, mindful of his somewhat vulnerable position. He didn't have anyone to watch his back anymore- he needed to be careful.

_'I am here. I will guard you.' _Zero promised faithfully. Harry rolled his eyes, just beginning to scan the rows of books when something rocked the very ground he stood on.

Screams filled the air as bookcases swayed precariously and books fell to the floor.

The ground shook again before Harry even had the chance to turn around. It felt like something was…..running. Something big.

The students who hadn't been knocked to the floor by the tremors, or pinned down by fallen bookcases, were already running out of the library. Quick jade eyes spotted Ron and Hermione trying to make their way towards Harry's last know position.

_'Escape.'_

Following Zero's command, the messy-haired wizard darted back towards the closest window to him in the library. When a quick push wouldn't open it, Harry pulled back one clenched fist and shattered the glass easily with his elbow. The slight sting of sharp glass cutting into his skin was ignored.

Climbing out onto the slight ledge, he froze at the sight before him. Giants were steadily tearing their way through the Forbidden Forest, tree branches and snow flying through the air. Two were tangling with another smaller one just outside the fainting glowing wards of Hogwarts.

"Grawp."

From his spot just one level above the ground, Harry could see Hagrid and Fang yelling at the young giant fighting in the wood. When Professors McGonagall, Sprout, Flitwick and Headmaster Dumbledore could be seen dashing across the grounds did Harry jump from his perch and head in the opposite direction.

Zero had already begun forming another plan of attack when the shaking had started. There would be panic and disorder and sheer madness in Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry while the giants attacked. Just enough madness for a student or two be suddenly go missing and not be discovered until the danger had passed.

Harry planned to be one of those students.

_'Mission: Destruction of Russian Base.'_ Zero confirmed with a beep of excitement.

Harry nodded, jumping over bushes, shrubs and snow drifts as he broke through the outer cover of the Forbidden Forest. The Phoenix necklace was whipped off of his neck and held up to his lips before the secret phrase had it floating and glowing and transforming into the mysterious Gundam Heero had been trying to find.

For a second, Harry wondered how the Japanese teen would feel knowing Phoenix and her pilot were just a few hundred yards from the school; that he slept in the same room as the person Heero'd been trying to find. Then the rip cord descended and Harry was shooting towards the cockpit, surrendering to the Zero system completely.

* * *

The first tremor barely shook the table that held Heero's laptop. Just the faintest of rumblings and the clattering of the pen he'd set down beside him alerted the Japanese teen to the disturbance.

His very blood seemed to freeze, going cold and stagnant in his veins as the next tremor shook the whole room.

_Harry……_

The screen was slapped down onto the keyboard as Heero vaulted over the table in his haste to find their missing charge. He'd let his guard down and let him go…….If anything happened to Harry, Heero would never forgive himself.

Four other bodies scrambled behind him- if trying to keep up with Heero's enhanced body could be called scrambling- as they reached the corridor.

Terrified students- mostly first and second years- dashed around the halls as the other older students tried to create some semblance of order. A few prefects were shooting sparks into the air, yelling for their respective houses to follow them.

Heero rejected going around the groups of terrified students for simply plowing right though them, ignoring squeaks of surprise and pain.

Duo seemed to slide between the bodies like oil, quickening his pace to catch up with his super-strong friend.

"Shit! When it rains it freaking pours! Regular search formation?" Duo barked out, turning to let out three short, shrill whistles at Heero's curt nod. No other communication was needed as the tall, double doors of the library came into sight. One of the hard wood slabs was knocked slightly ajar, as the earth still trembled beneath their feet.

Inside was a mess of toppled bookshelves and students trying to escape the sudden deathtrap the library had turned into.

Heero had taken the time, early into the school year, to memorize exactly where each section of the library was- fiction, non-fiction, Defense, Potions, History of Magic- Heero knew where it all was. Quickly taking in the mess and all the Not-Harrys running around him, the blue-eyed teen set his sights on the History section and blocked out everything that just wasn't Harry.

Duo and Wufei started for the stairs and the top level of the library as Quatre and Trowa split up and continued with the rest of the lower level. The time limit was seven minutes- nothing more or less unless they found their target and assistance was needed. They'd meet back at the foot of the stairs and plan from there if Harry wasn't found.

Heero wasn't the praying type, but he wasn't above begging any deity out there for him to find the jade-eyed wizard somewhere in all this chaos.

Sharp blue eyes caught sight of a familiar black bag dropped haphazardly in the middle of the rows of books, contents spilling out across the floor. A piece of old parchment, a fancy eagle feather quill, something fluid and silvery looking and a surprisingly large amount of notes written out in their charge's neat print.

Heero froze, panting but not from exertion. Panic clawed at his heart and lungs, trying to find hold because Harry was _missing_ and Heero didn't need a bloody crime scene to figure that out.

"Heero!"

The Japanese bodyguard turned at his name being shouted above the noise his ears had just begun to register. Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger were weaving between hysterical students, falling books and on shaky ground to his side.

"Harry's- we lost sight of him when the shaking started!" The redhead gasped out, his pale skin making his freckles stick out sickly. "He was just- here one moment and gone the next."

Heero looked murderous, eyes shifting between the two Gryffindors. Hermione swallowed slowly, guilt spreading across her face.

"_He was alone?_ Why would you leave him alone?"

"We didn't mean to!" Burst from her lips as another tremor made the bookcases on either side of them swayed dangerously. "We're at Hogwarts! It's supposed to be the safest place in Britain! It- it was just for a moment……"

Heero's arms shot up keeping the gigantic bookcases upright as a huge tremor shook the floor and a deep, angry bellow filled the air. Hermione and Ron stood frozen in place as they watched their best friend's bodyguard hold hundred of pounds of paper and wood upright and rigid.

Heero huffed slightly. "What is causing the quakes? Hogwarts is built on ground that has no known record of notable semantic activity."

Hermione let out a startled squeak and quickly pointed just over Heero's shoulder. The blue-eyed teen turned to see a large gangly figure toss another to the ground. Something opaque rippled before them, like a curtain or a veil, shot with multi-colored beams from hastily thrown spells.

Somehow, Heero know, without the whispered answer from Ron, that he was watching _giants_ try to break down the wards around Hogwarts.

He turned back to the stunned duo, fingers digging into the wooden shelves as another giant took a hit and fell to the ground making it shake violently.

"Go find the others. Bottom of the stairs. Now!"

Whether they understood or not, Heero wasn't certain, but Hermione nodded and began to pull Ron back towards the middle of the library, swaying and stumbling as they clung to each other.

Heero kicked Hary's discarded belongings to the edge of the narrow walkway before turning around to face the window.

_The broken window._

It registered like a blow to the head and had the wizard shooting over to the frame, sticking his head out to scan the ground below.

There was no sign of Harry but glass littered the ledge and the snow below, glinting in the sunlight like crystal. No clues- no damn clues at all- as to what had broken in and taken Harry….

In the corner of the window, the part that hadn't completely shattered, a piece of black fabric flapped in the cold winter breeze. Agile fingers plucked it from its trap, rubbing the threads between a blunt thumb and pointer finger.

It was easy to identify- black and generic cotton, exactly like the cloth the Hogwarts robes were made out of. Like the ones Harry had been wearing…….

Blue eyes scanned the rest of the glass that was edged around the window like a crooked, toothy smile. Opposite the side the piece of fabric had been caught, Heero gently touched a red smear.

Blood.

_Harry's blood?_

"Heero!"

Duo and Trowa were at the head of the group, eyes going over the same evidence Heero's had just minutes before. Quatre was biting his lip nervously, avoiding eye contact as he scooped up Harry's things and tucked them away in the discarded black bag. Wufei ran a hand over his smooth, black hair in irritation, obviously coming to the same conclusion as Heero.

"He's not here? Damn it!" Duo cursed, gripping his gun tightly, safety off. Their wands were still too much of a new thing to be pulled out- guns they were familiar, comfortable with.

"So Voldemort's got him again?" Ron demanded blue eyes frantic. "How? Did a giant or something break in somehow?"

_Click._

Everything cleared suddenly, like someone had lifted the smoky glass over his eyes. The last bloody piece to a gruesome puzzle had been put in its place and things made a horrible, heavy sense to Heero. The glass _outside_ the window frame, the cloth, and the blood- nothing had broken _in_ because Harry had broken _out._

_But why?_

Most of the books had already fallen to the floor, bent and trampled as the ground still trembled with the weight of the giant's steps. Yells and cruses could be heard just out of sight from the window behind him, but Heero was unconcerned with that.

"How can Harry just be gone?" Hermione demanded of her boyfriend, having finished her hasty explanation of the wards and protections around Hogwarts. "Death Eaters and dark magical creatures can't just walk onto the grounds! It had to have been someone already here, someone inside-"

Heero cut her off sharply. "No. Potter's gone."

His gaze was cutting as he looked at his four friends.

"And he left voluntarily."

* * *

A/N: I am horrible for stopping there but the next part shall hold almost all Harry's PoV- which means lots of action and internal angst. Thanks for being so patience and still reading, even with my erratic updating phases!

Look- everyone's favorite part!

Please review! Remember, for every review not written, Harry admits his sordid attraction to Cornelius Fudge before they have mad sex on his Ministry-approved desk……God, what is wrong with me?

S. Tangerine


	15. Miscalculation: Part Two

A/N: This is amazingly late BUT it is also the longest chapter to date, that I have ever posted for this story. I've had family problems, work problems, computer problems, a new found love of Supernatural and killer Writer's Block to battle to get this out. It's a miracle I didn't just give up on it.

That being said, you should all send virtual (and real) Trowa to my beta, Masked Fool, for being so totally awesome. This chapter officially belongs to her! -hugs-

* * *

Chapter Fifteen: Miscalculation- Part Two

Zero was seriously starting to piss Harry off.

In a passive-aggressive, the-voices-in-your-head-are-annoying-you kind of way in which only Harry and Zero could even tell he was becoming irritated.

_'Sloppy. We should have checked and rechecked the weather reports before lift-off.' _Zero repeated for the fifth time in less than fifteen minutes.

Harry kept the controls steady with ease, his enhanced strength more than an even match for the gale-force winds of the freak storm. His even temper however, might not survive Zero's anal-retentive whining.

"So you've said. Over and over and over again."

Ice pellets clicked against the Gundam as another gust of wind shook the controls in the wizard's hands.

"I would like to take this moment to point out that, no matter how much you'd like for things to go exactly as planned, sometimes they don't. I'd also like to point out that this is exactly why the phrase 'freak storm' was coined."

_'That does not mean we should excuse any mistakes as random occurrences. We must always be prepared for anything.' _Zero responded in kind. Had it not been a computer program Harry could easily imagine it possessing a snooty, Hermione-ish tone of voice.

"Each setback is simply another lesson learned and another chance to improve upon my current level of expertise." Harry parried back smartly. 'Constant vigilance' in the words of a former DADA professor.

Zero beeped warningly. _'You are reaching. Pay attention to your flight route. I will cease my verbal report of our miscalculations until the mission has been completed.'_

Harry let a small self-satisfied smirk cross his lips at Zero's offer. He probably would have rubbed the victory in its face more had he not just won a mental battle of wits against the voice in his head.

Another gust of wind pushed the controls against his hands and Harry flirted with the idea of flying above the storm but the chance of being caught on radar by any of the authorities rose dramatically. If he kept up his course any abnormalities caught on radar could be explained away by the storm.

Nimble fingers flicked on the console screen connected to the outside. Snow-flakes swirled furiously on the screen as tiny bright white beads of ice bounced off the camera lens. The Baltic Sea was a mess of dark blue-grey water and the white of crashing waves. Harry glanced at it warily before flicking on his own radar and cutting his view of the outside.

Not for the first time since finding the storm hindering his flight, was the wizard glad that Phoenix was a superior mobile suit used predominantly for flight instead of sea fare. A Gundam could, easily, be used for underwater exploration - considering that fact that they were used in outer space just as much as flight- but certain thermal aspects of the design would be impossible.

With the current storm and their shortening distance from the target, neither Harry nor Zero wanted to risk going seaside and getting caught without a thermal weapon.

"We are making good time here - storm or not. Perhaps you should check and recheck our attack plan instead of trying to drive me mad?" Harry suggested, flicking off the out-camera for his infra-red sensor and radar. Staring at the churning sea would do nothing to help calm any potential nerves.

_'Our attack plan is simple - seek and destroy.'_ Zero responded promptly. _'Your diversionary skills need to be upgraded if that is the best you can achieve.'_

Harry scoffed at his controls as Zero picked up his previous spiel of critiques and areas it thought Harry could improve upon. The wizard tried his best to ignore anything else but the beep of his instruments and the flash of Phoenix's screens.

The Russian coastline was the beginning of a long stretch of white and brown land underneath Harry's eyes. Barren trees and undergrowth dotted the canvas every so often. The storm kept prying human eyes out of the way, even with Phoenix's invisibility.

Zero beeped. _'Arriving at target in one hundred and fifty seconds. Prepare to engage.'_

Harry took a long, slow, deep breath, flexing his hands on the controls before buckling down to fight.

* * *

"What?!!" Remus asked, his voice rising in pitch. He had a rather deep cut across his forehead and his usually shabby robes were covered in dust and dirt. He'd been one of the few professors with the ability to help re-enforce the protections around Hogwarts when the giants had come to call.

Heero didn't give the man more than a passing glance as his eyes focused on his temporary supervisor, the man responsible for them even being at Hogwarts, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

As if to show his own tranquility at the news, compared to Lupin's obvious panic, the Headmaster's robes were in their usual eye-catching, pristine state.

"Potter is missing. We suspect he has taken leave during the confusion of the attack."

Lupin was beside himself with worry, and a rage that seemed to be targeted solely at Heero. "Where were you? Aren't you supposed to be protecting him from this sort of thing?"

Hermione leant forward urgently, trying to deflect her best friend's godfather from Heero's stiff form. "Professor Lupin! Haven't you been listening? Harry's left. He hasn't been kidnapped again!"

The werewolf seemed to do a double take, his gold eyes flaring up at this insight before the fury took over again. "Harry would never - he's not well enough to be out on his own, never mind leaving during an attack."

The Headmaster sighed deeply. "I'd feared this would happen."

Heero's head snapped up from where it had dipped in thought. Hermione found herself pulled back towards a suddenly protective Ron at the expression in Heero's eyes.

"What do you know?"

The words came out low and thunderous all at the same time, like a growl and a snarl combined. Even Remus shifted at the sound, his eyes sliding from furious at Heero's presence to dreadful at Dumbledore's words.

The Headmaster didn't look at all perturbed by the sudden display of emotion from the Japanese bodyguard, but he did send the other occupants of the room a hard look.

"Perhaps this is a conversation best kept between ourselves, Mister Yuy."

Hermione felt Ron's chest expand to protest - Harry was their best friend after all and they'd been though so much already to be cut out of his life now - but she suspected Dumbledore knew something that only Heero would understand. Her elbow caught Ron just right, sending his puff of breath out in a wheeze of sorts before she nodded and began pulling her stubborn, peacock-posturing boyfriend out of the office. "We're going to go help the others search."

Remus didn't budge from his spot near the desk, even when both Albus and Heero set their penetrating gazes on him. "Harry's my godson now, and someone here has to be looking out for his best interests."

Heero twitched slightly, as if to smack those words from Lupin's lips, but was halted by Dumbledore's words.

The Headmaster, it seemed, had the ability to pull rank, even on godfathers. If that didn't work, the old wizard always had the power of simply reproaching or shaming people into doing what he wanted.

"Remus, everything I have done, I have done so for Harry's own good and I will not let it be said otherwise - especially by one who has no idea of the lengths I have gone, and am yet to go to."

Heero fought to smirk as desolation crept over the professor's face, the very image of a kicked puppy. He did not feel bad for the man who treated Harry like he was made of spun glass, held together with chewing gum and band-aids.

Dumbledore fussed with a tin that seemed to hold a mountain of bright yellow sweets until the door clicked shut behind Remus Lupin. Even after a moment had passed, the old wizard took his time selecting a treat before inspecting it for any deformities and popping it into his mouth anyway.

"You are troubled, young man."

Heero wanted, much to his surprise, to borrow Duo's eye roll and say "No shit, sir", but held back against the urge. He was not sure as to how to treat any attempt made by Dumbledore in turning Heero in his favor, especially when Harry still could not be found.

"These are troubling times." He opted for, settling for a Trowa sort of mind set, with the taller man's ability to seem submissive and be a smartass all at once.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at the response before his ancient looking fingers steeple-ed together under his chin. "I had feared Harry would soon wander from the castle on his own for many a reason, most of which you would not understand. However I will try to explain to you that no matter what Remus and the rest of the Wizarding World believe, Harry is not a warrior for the cause. He is a gentle soul who tries, no matter what, to always do the right thing. For others, if not for himself."

Heero wasn't sure where this was going, but it was a strangely accurate depiction of Harry's character. Heero knew that the torture the Gryffindor had endured had changed him, but there were many moments in which shadows and overtones of the soft-hearted person Harry must have been shone out through the dark cloud he'd wrapped himself in.

"I say this because, having not known Harry before his capture, you cannot understand how positively good that man is. How much he shows – showed – it every day."

"Acts of violence tend to change a person's – "Heero began, only to be cut off by a quietly furious "Not like this."

The Japanese wizard wasn't really sure what he was supposed to be hearing. That Harry was a good person? That the other wizard had been changed by his experience at the hands of Voldemort? These were not turning out to be exceptionally astounding remarks.

The sickly looking bird in the corner gave a sudden chirp and fell from its perch. Heero quelled the urge to reach for his gun, as the bird appeared to already have died.

The reflex returned when the body, lying innocently on the tray of the perch, violently caught itself aflame.

The fire, while startling, was a thing of beauty and reminded Heero of Harry, for some reason he didn't want to think about at that moment. However the thought stuck as the flames died and out of the ashes popped a tiny little chick, bare of all but the tiniest feather on its head.

It chirped and Dumbledore chuckled at the expression of Heero's face.

"Welcome back Fawkes." He said cordially to the bird before addressing Heero.

"I'd always hated the burning before the rebirth until I saw Harry's reaction. He made me see the beauty in the ending of it all."

Heero could understand that. Harry had taught him a few things as well. While talking about the green-eyed wizard was pleasant, it was a constant reminder of the fact that Heero was still doing nothing to find him and keep him safe.

Dumbledore seemed to feel his impatience.

"Forgive me, Mister Yuy, I am old and have been known to ramble. I do have a reason for all of my story-telling; it lays the background evidence for the coming lesson." The brightness in the old man's eyes dimmed as he began to speak again and Heero found he missed the Headmaster's cheerfulness.

"Before his capture, Harry would never even try to break Mr. Maxwell's wrist, let alone be able to. His fighting ability amounted to that of a teenage boy in a schoolyard brawl, and homework was something that had to be completed, less he face the wrath of his professors and Miss Granger." Dumbledore sat back solemnly. "Nor could Harry have beaten five of the Preventers' top agents after experiencing a psychic attack from Voldemort himself."

Heero sat in the chair behind him slowly. There was something challenging in those words, unless he was just been paranoid. "If you believe that I have provided inadequate protection to Potter, do not worry. I will be asking to be relieved of this mission after we are sure Potter is safe and returned to the castle. The – I'm positive Commander Une can appoint another agent to my post."

Dumbledore looked startled for a moment, shaking his head sadly. "That was not what I meant to imply. I'm sorry you mistook my words for reprimand. You and your group have done an amazing job keeping Harry safe, despite what his godfather might say."

Heero felt something tight in his chest squeeze painfully. "He is still missing."

Understanding seemed to ooze from Dumbledore's form as he looked at Heero, really and truly looked at the agent before him. "You have been thinking about this for far longer than today I assume."

Heero nodded, fighting back the sense of shame at his next words. "I have become too… personally involved in Potter's welfare. It has clouded my judgment on more than one occasion and that is unacceptable."

Dumbledore didn't scold him like the Japanese wizard had been expecting, but chuckled in relief. "Heero, if I may be so bold, had Harry not touched you some way, I would have been more than ready to believe the rumors that you are in fact part auto-matron were true."

The agent seemed frozen in place, as if unsure as to what was supposed to be happening next. He had crossed that invisible line no bodyguard was supposed to cross and developed… feelings, of a personal nature, for his charge. This was a serious offense. Dumbledore was not supposed to be laughing about it.

"Headmaster, I…" Yes, Heero was most definitely lost.

Dumbledore wiped his eyes with a softer chuckle before explaining. "I am not going to fire you for this, my boy. For you to actually care about the person you are protecting? What more could I possibly ask for?"

"Sir, it is a liability. My – how I feel could affect the mission and my judgment should a situation arise," Like today. Heero tried to explain, wondering if the old man was one of those romantics who thought him and Harry would simply fall into each others arms like Quatre and Trowa had.

If so, the wizard had another thing coming.

"They say that in order to be a good bodyguard, one must be willing to die for the person or the cause they are protecting. They must believe in it and care for it. They must love it more than they love themselves." His eyes twinkled again. "There are no atheists in foxholes."

Heero hated it went people used complex, deep sayings to convey something they could just spit out and be done with.

"You won't accept my resignation then?"

Dumbledore smiled at him, steepling his fingers quickly and shaking his head.

"No, I will not. I am convinced, more than ever, that there is no one better for the job.

Heero was rather happy someone was.

"Then why did you send away Lupin and the Gryffindors? If not to terminate me."

Dumbledore's smile vanished as he contemplated his hands intently. Heero waited as patiently as he could with the itch to be out of this stuffy office and searching gnawing under his skin.

"This is not," The Headmaster began after a long moment of silence. "Something I think Remus or Harry's friends could bear to hear. Neither of them could possibly understand and in their haste to help Harry, each would only do extraordinary damage."

Heero nodded. "I understand. Lupin has been treating Potter as if he were a helpless, damaged child already."

"Yes, and while loyal and determined, Miss Granger and Mister Weasley have fallen away from Harry since his return."

The bodyguard straightened. "Then why would you tell me this, if not his two best friends?"

"I've read in your file that you have had some experience with something called the ZERO System." Dumbledore announced promptly, taking in the way Heero stiffened and shot him a surprised look.

"Affirmative."

The old wizard nodded to himself. "Would you agree in my assumption that this type of technology has the ability to, forgive my 'sci-fi' terminology, brainwash a person?"

Heero didn't answer right away, thinking about the program itself, its purposes and how it had reacted to his psyche.

"It can, in a sense, be developed to control how a person would think. Or push them to think in a specific direction."

Dumbledore pursed his lips and Heero had the sudden thought that the Headmaster had already assumed as much.

"How would it go about doing such a thing?"

Heero had a moment of uncertainty – did he reveal the inner workings of the ZERO System to an outsider or hold back and loose his chance to help Potter?

Dumbledore seemed to practically read his mind as he chuckled.

"Do not fret, Heero. For all my 'muggle-loving' ways, I've yet to understand the workings of a basic toaster. However, Commander Une has granted me top clearance in this area when I requested permission to speak to you on this matter."

The anxiety lifted from the Japanese wizard's chest as he took the signed and stamped notice from Dumbledore's withered hand.

"Zero could be used to…warp a person's mind if it is input with a specific goal." He began to explain. "ZERO, Zoning and Emotional Range Omitted, is a computer program that was made to work with the pilot's mind, to enhance it. The system decreases a pilot's reaction time by removing the need for visual interfaces."

"It connects the pilot's mind with the computer? Or the machine?" The Headmaster asked suddenly, as if storing the data away.

Heero smirked. "Both. In a Gundam the computer mainframe is the heart of the whole suit, excluding the pilot. The computer and the suit cannot run without each other, adding ZERO simply connects the pilot to the equation."

"Amazing." Dumbledore muttered, stroking his beard in contemplation. "Continue, please."

"ZERO is extremely advanced. It also has the ability to calculate possible outcomes during battle and to map a route of actions and reactions that will achieve total victory or defeat." Heero trailed off as he watched his employer sit up as if shocked. He looked at him guardedly. "Headmaster?"

"It can predict the future?" The wizard looked almost terrified for a moment before calm blue eyes regarded Heero intently. The bodyguard nodded slowly.

"Multiple futures to be precise. It can then calculate its opponent's possible actions and so on."

"Like a Chess Game?" Dumbledore asked in a defeated voice that spoke of already knowing the answer.

"Yes." Heero had taken his seat during the explanation, his mind working overtime as Dumbledore sighed.

"I'd thought it was something terrible, but nothing to this scale." Dumbledore stared off at the far corner of his office, looking bleak. "Tom, what have you done to him?"

Heero didn't have the slightest clue who 'Tom' could be but it was obvious the victim in all this was Potter.

"Headmaster?" He questioned, linking ZERO and Harry in his mind. Quatre's slack face, his computer-induced mania while on the system joined the collage of memories. "What does this have to do with Potter?"

Dumbledore snapped back into himself like a rubber band, only not all of it seemed to fit anymore. Stretched too far and worn too thin. He cleared his throat briefly.

"I have suspected for months now, that Voldemort has done something… permanent. I had feared that Harry was a plant, even. A doppelganger." The old wizard had a look of self-disgust smeared across his face. "I was a paranoid fool to let it go on for this long. I believe Harry knows something about the Gundam that has been tearing up parts of Europe for months now."

Heero clenched his hands tightly into fists at the thought. ZERO, when used too long or too often, hurt a Gundam pilot. It left damage. ZERO, being used on civilians? It was torture, pure and simple.

"You believe both Potter and the pilot of the new Gundam escaped together then?" He asked, just to be sure.

Dumbledore nodded. "I believe they were both captives of Voldemort, both victims of the system you've just explained to me. It leaves behind signs of its use, no?"

Heero took a moment to make his hands uncurl, the tension growing in his chest and back. "It never goes away. The memories or the temptation. That frame of mind, it haunts you until you die."

"Yes, I believe it does." Dumbledore looked far too knowing for Heero's peace of mind. The old wizard shook himself back to the present with a surprisingly soft smile. "However, all hope is not lost. We know what has been done to Harry, and we know what did it. If you are willing," Heero looked up sharply and Dumbledore leant forward.

"You can help him through this."

* * *

"East side is clear." Duo sighed into the cold, winter air. The lake was a dull, grey pan of ice, cutting off the last possible place Harry could have gone.

"North is clear as well." Quatre's voice sounded in his ear like the blond had whispered right into it. Hermione's modified Com Spell was a godsend when Hogwarts seemed to swallow their technology whole.

"I've joined 04 and will head back to the check point." Trowa murmured after a moment. Duo turned around himself to head back to Hogwarts, disappointment and worry weighing down on him.

"I'm on my way as well. 05?"

"Affirmative. South side is clear." Wufei spoke harshly but Duo could tell he was just as disappointed in not finding Harry anywhere on the grounds as they were.

The wards were still visible in the fading light, glossy waves of fairy-bright pinks, reds, blues, yellows, greens and purples. Flitwick had lamented the showing of the wards, after the giants had slumped away in defeat, squeaking about how everyone from Hogwarts to China would be able to see their protections now.

Duo thought the opaque sphere of liquid color was beautiful. To know that it was protective magic up there was even better.

"It's soothing, isn't it?" Quatre asked, stepping around the towering roots of a ripped up tree. "Like looking up at our very own Northern Lights."

Trowa nodded and glanced at the wards frequently, letting his eyes scan the darkened grounds of Hogwarts more often than not. Someone had to keep watch.

Duo smiled quickly at the thought before the mess the giants had left behind caught his sight. "I wish I'd had my Deathscythe when those bastards had done this."

The wards were protection, not aggressive magic, and powerless to stop the creatures from damaging the grounds and part of Hogwarts herself. They'd come to think of the castle as a temporary home base; neither of the agents were immune to its beauty.

"Even if it had scared them off, you'd only have added to the damage." Wufei commented from behind his lover. "The Gundams were created for air and space combat, not Earth-side battle."

"Just be thankful it was the weekend, or we'd be cleaning up bodies as well." Trowa said in his usual stoic tone, as they began to make their way back to Hogwarts.

It was a chilling reminder that they were, bodyguards or not, a part of another war.

They skirted around bits of trees and clogs of frozen earth in a tense silence, each no doubt thinking about their missing charge. Wufei glanced at his wrist watch and 'hummed in surprise.

"Yuy has been gone for a long time."

"I'm just grateful I'm not the one telling Lupin his godson's missing again." Duo said with a faked shudder. "That guy has serious issues."

"From what Hermione has told me, Remus has more than his share of reasons to be so over-protective." Quatre replied, frowning slightly. His braided friend blinked.

"Hermione talks to you?"

"Everyone talks to me, Duo."

Trowa brushed against his elbow. "What has she said?"

The blond sighed. "Harry is his last link to what I guess would amount to his family. Harry's parents, Lily and James, were his best friends, along with Harry's godfather, Sirius Black and another man Hermione wouldn't say much about. I get the feeling he's not someone Harry has any regard for."

"Lupin is a werewolf." Wufei added, rubbing his numbing hands together. "I've read that after years of transformations a 'Pack Mentality' can set into their human psyche. It usually results in territoriality and over-protective tendencies."

"All of his students would fit the idea of a cub pack, one that needs to be protected." Quatre agreed. "But only Harry would be family. His cub, if you will."

Duo groaned. "And now with Harry missing, again, Remus will be in over-drive and looking for someone's ass to string up." He kicked a snowdrift angrily. "Of course Heero would volunteer himself for that- he thinks this is his fault."

"Potter ran away." Wufei frowned. "No one in their right mind would blame Yuy."

"Who says Wolfman will be in his right mind?"

The grounds started to rise under their feet. Trowa paused a moment to brush the constant fall of flurries out of his bangs. "He will come to be more concerned about Harry's whereabouts than whom to blame them for."

Something none of them still had any answers for.

"Think maybe he's gone back?" Duo voiced the one fear everyone was keeping secret.

"Stockholm Syndrome? I doubt it." Trowa replied quietly, confident in the knowledge that Harry would never do that to them, especially to Heero.

Wufei did not have that much faith in their charge. "They've roped you in on this scheme as well, Barton?"

Trowa paused in his easy lope up the snowy hillside. "No one can 'rope' me into doing something I don't wish to. Nor am I so blinded by my own prejudices that I can disregard what I've seen with my own eyes."

Wufei looked away from his comrade, slightly mollified. Duo nudged him with his shoulder.

"Hey, babe. Don't pull that face. Tro's the most practical person I know. If he's not denying it, then there has to be something there, right?"

"Trowa is all but married to Quatre." His lover answered back. "He may be the Prince of Practicality but he's certainly not immune to flights of fancy."

Quatre's sunny grin, which had sprung up at Wufei's mention of his and Trowa's devotion to each other, grew into a blinding smile as his tall partner did not deny the comment.

The hill levelled out to a plain of freshly fallen snow before Wufei spoke again.

"Heero would never allow it."

Duo closed his eyes, letting the cold air fog around him. "You know it can't always be controlled."

"Yuy has a code of ethics, and morals, for his work. He sets impossible standards for himself to meet. He is above all a professional. Heero is-"

"Only human." Quatre cut off his friend firmly. "No matter what he'd like us to believe." It irked the blond that they all seemed be willing to overlook Heero's emotions, his softer, hidden side. That Heero let them.

Trowa pulled his lover closer, warding off the chill of December as best he could. He looked like silent reinforcement, standing dark and immoveable behind the blond. It wasn't hard for any of them to remember that other than Quatre, Trowa would be the best evidence of Heero's mortality; he'd nursed the Japanese pilot back to health after his self-destruction in Siberia.

"His humanity aside, Heero still wouldn't allow this to happen." Wufei folded his arms against his chest, for warmth he told himself.

Duo let out a long, slow breath, his pale face turned down. "That's what makes it so damn sad."

They returned to the castle in silence, hoping against hope that Harry was alright.

* * *

Zero was not happy.

Phoenix sagged to the right as they flew over the now calm Baltic Sea, her shoulder throwing sparks erratically. Harry tried to manually balance out the dead weight of his damaged Gundam, blinking sticky blood from his eyelashes.

Things had not gone as planned.

The Russian base had been expanded since Harry's last visit, months ago. Expanded and very much protected. It went down, but not without giving Harry and Zero a fight for their money.

_'We've missed our arrival time by three hundred minutes and counting.'_

Harry did a rapid countdown and frowned at himself. Five hours late? Impossible. Five hours was too close. Five hours was too far. Five hours was almost failure.

Zero did not lie, and neither did the internal clock ticking down like an atomic bomb in Harry's head. Heero would be looking for him by now, if not sooner.

_'Zero One will be suspicious. He will need to be dealt with carefully.'_

"What happened to Heero being my optimum candidate for a significant other? I thought you were all for brining him into the fold." Harry muttered, willing his swimming vision to steady.

_'That does not equate the loss of common sense or your instincts to survive. Trust no one.'_

His Gundam dipped and swayed in the wind, forcing Harry to forego giving Zero a better response than a highly inventive string of swear words.

_'Your vocabulary is atrocious.'_

"And yours is giving me a headache." Harry snapped as the screens before his eyes fuzzed out and shifted. He blinked away more blood.

_'That would be the concussion you sustained during the attack.'_ Zero parried back logically. _'Our reflexes would be sharper if you trained more.'_

Harry growled at the insinuation that this mess was his entire fault. "And what? Tell the others not to mind the big, illegal Gundam playing on the grounds? Tell them I'd like to be left alone for a couple of hours to do mysterious things I can't possibly tell them about?"

Phoenix tilted almost completely to the right.

_'Balance!'_ Zero snapped and Harry's arms pulled up on the controls. _'If you cannot keep the mobile suit aloft I will be forced to engage in an override to see you back safely.'_

Ice filled Harry's veins at the veiled threat. The shock cleared his head.

"I thought you couldn't do that – not without being commanded. Like when I was Emerald."

_'Dr. J installed a failsafe, in case you were ever too injured to complete the mission.'_ Zero explained promptly. _'I have been equipped with the variables to measure against should a situation arise where you cannot find a secure location or escape intact.'_

"They went through so much trouble?" Harry said softly, unable to believe it. "Why?"

_'Phoenix is one of a kind, but rebuild-able. There can always be another Gundam like it, but there will never be another pilot like you.'_ Zero paused, reading its host. _'You believed you were the first subject of Dr. J's? Hardly. You were simply the only one to survive.'_

"Heero –" Harry started to protest, knowing that someone else had survived that madman's grasp, but the system stopped him.

_'Zero One is a mere prototype compared to you. Genetic manipulations and minimal control over the original ZERO System was just the beginning. You are the end. You are everything that is important here.'_

Harry shook his head, shakily remembering the horrible things he'd done as Black Emerald. The promise he'd made to himself to never become that thing again.

"I'd die before I'd let us do that." He whispered into the empty cockpit.

Zero beeped. _'I'd stop you first._' The way it spoke was monotone and frank but the wizard heard the slightly ominous message clearly.

Harry closed his eyes in defeat. This was a battle he'd never win.

_'You have no reason to fear a possible future override becoming permanent.'_ It said, almost soothing. _'We have an agreement. A symbiotic relationship. It is not in my programming to wipe you out because I am dependant on you being you.'_

"And I suppose this override program would be for my protection then?" Harry asked tightly, uncomfortable, for the first time, with Zero having so much control over him.

Zero beeped in confirmation. _'Of course. Even I can understand that there are some things your complex human mind needs to be shielded from.'_ Quieter it added, _'I've told you before; your humanity is precious to me. Without it, there is no you for me to protect and there is no me without you.'_

Not for the first time, Harry wondered if Zero was truly incapable of emotional attachments.

_'I am simply stating the facts – there is nothing sentimental in this.'_ Zero said, picking up on Harry's thoughts._ 'Perhaps you should concentrate on arriving safely back to Hogwarts.'_

Harry nodded and tightened his grip on the controls, counting down the minutes until he arrived back on home soil and what he'd do to hide his departure when he got there.

* * *

"I've had Nymphadora, Kingsley and Alistair out all day, combing the streets for Harry." Dumbledore murmured to his two companions as they walked briskly over the grounds. "William and Charles Weasley have both been alerted to be on the look out for any strange sightings and Severus has just been called away by Voldemort."

"Do you believe he has something to do with Harry's disappearance?" Minerva asked with a huff. She'd never truly been able to get around without her cane since that horrible attack on Hagrid and herself two years ago. The snow made it much more difficult to manoeuvre.

"That, my dear Minerva, is quite a complicated question." The Headmaster replied, flicking his wand to clear an easier path for his professor. "I am certain that what Voldemort has done to Harry in the past is part of the reason he has disappeared, but not if his disappearance today is because of Voldemort."

Remus snorted. "And his guards?"

He said the words with barely veiled contempt, still obviously furious with Heero Yuy and his comrades for doing, what Remus saw as a most unforgivable act: losing Harry.

"Mr. Yuy assured me he would be contacting the Commander for extra forces should Harry not be returned by sunrise. He wanted to ask for earlier assistance, but I refused." Dumbledore added the last bit when his Defense professor seemed to glow red with anger.

"Merlin, why in heaven would you ever do such a thing?" Minerva asked, aghast.

Dumbledore sent her a penetrating look over the edge of his glasses. "You know I do not believe in bringing our wars to the doors of another unless it is unavoidable. Should we reveal ourselves to the muggles now, the results would be disastrous."

The Head of Gryffindor House opened her mouth to speak just as something large and invisible let out a high screeching, mechanical whine. Wings flapped against the clouds, flickering in and out of sight as the creature swayed and dipped dangerously low over the Forbidden Forest.

"What kind of monster is that?" Remus shouted, pulling his wand out and lighting the end. The Lumos Spell bounced off the shiny underside of the creature, revealing robotic arms and glowing green eyes.

Dumbledore drew in a sharp breath. He knew exactly what that was.

"Why are you here?" He whispered into the night air as the mysterious Gundam that had disappeared from sight in August swayed against gravity. An engine whined from around its middle before the suit's wings folded from the impossibly dead weight of its body.

"Merlin, is that the thing that destroyed Greendale?" Minerva asked, remembering the ruins of Britain's most famous elvish city. "You called it a Gun-damn?"

Remus growled. "What is it doing here? It'll never get through the wards without all the magic in the air frying its electronics."

The Gundam hit the ground with a bang that shook everything for miles. Smoke and sparks were thrown high in the air. Screeching metal and more whining engines could be heard before Dumbledore shot forward and began a surprisingly quick jog into the Forest.

"Albus!" Minerva cried, trying to manoeuvre through the snow. "Come back!"

Remus glanced behind him to see five familiar bodies driving though the snow like it was cotton and heading in their direction. He grabbed his fellow professor's arm.

"I'll go with him, you wait here. Tell Yuy where we've gone."

Minerva gapped at him, nearly falling over into the snow when he let go of her arm and dashed after the scarily agile Headmaster.

Dumbledore's path was unmarked, obstacles pushed away by magic as he broke through a rather dense line of trees and underbrush into the clearing the Gundam had partly crash landed in. The left side of the huge suit was half buried in the frozen ground of the forest, wedged against massive trees. Its chest – the area that held the pilot, he knew – was half-pinned to the ground by the landing and mostly held down by the limp arm still throwing bright-white sparks into the air.

Remus shot out from the darkness behind him, panting and bent over from the run but the old wizard only had eyes for what his enemy had created to destroy him. It was beautiful, even half-broken and damaged.

"Phoenix." Remus gasped at him. "It's the phoenix everyone keeps describing. What is it doing here?"

Dumbledore shook his head in stupor. "I haven't the faintest, Remus. Unless… perhaps the pilot has come for sanctuary."

The werewolf's face darkened. "May they find none here, Albus. That thing holds a monster and you know that's the truth."

The Headmaster was a firm believer in second chances however, and moved closer to the massive Gundam.

He'd barely taken three steps when Phoenix's legs shot out, attempting to find purchase against the snowy ground. The damaged right side groaned against the movement, shifting a little more off the cockpit hatch before Dumbledore understood.

The pilot was trapped.

The old wizard raised his wand to assist the Gundam's tired struggles when five more bodies burst through the trees and slid to a halt.

Heero froze as Quatre, Wufei and Duo yelped. Trowa took a step back from the sight of the new Gundam before looking to Heero for an order. The Japanese wizard signalled 'approach with caution' before stepping up to join Dumbledore.

This day just seemed to get worse.

"What are you doing?" He asked as soon as he was in speaking distance with the older wizard. The Gundam was still attempting to turn itself over, but jerky movements and bad co-ordination seemed to spell out an injured pilot as Dumbledore's wand conducted the flailing limbs of the mobile suit.

"I believe whoever is in there is stuck. I am simply fixing the problem with a bit more finesse than the pilot can achieve at the moment." Dumbledore answered. "Besides, there looks to be a lot of damage to the exterior of the Gundam."

Quatre came up on their right, his eyes never leaving the sight before them. "We saw her fall out of the sky. Whoever's in there has been hurt."

Dumbledore settled the Gundam down on its back, arms spread slightly out at the sides. Remus and the other ex-pilots had to hustle out of the way of the suit's giant red wings, joining Dumbledore, Heero and Quatre as they stood around the Gundam's head and watched its glowing green eyes power down to darkness.

The Preventers each drew a gun and aimed steadily at its chest, never wavering as Remus started towards the head of the thing. The professor yelped as his whole body bounced off something electrical and invisible. He landed on his ass in the snow, smelling of burnt hair and cotton.

"The hell if any of our Gundams could do that after we powered down." Duo swore, tightening his hold on his Beretta. A murmur of agreement whispered through his comrades; only the braided wizard's Gundam Deathscythe had had a shield as advanced as this one.

The cockpit hatch slid open with a hiss of air and a thin, dark shadow crawled out of the pilot's seat. Five guns clicked in the cold, night air causing the shadow's head to snap up in surprise.

All traces of pain fled in an instant as the pilot agilely threw himself off the top of his Gundam and onto the ground.

"Don't move!" Heero shouted. "I am Special Agent Yuy and I have the authority to shoot to kill."

The pilot appeared unmoved by the words, swaying to lean against his suit's arm. The night was moonless but to Heero's trained eye it appeared as if the shadow was arguing with itself, head shaking wildly.

"We need a light." Heero hissed at Remus, who jumped beside him. He frowned at the order but nodded grumpily, raising his wand above his head.

"When I say go." The Japanese wizard said.

Duo cleared his throat. "Hey, come quickly and we won't be forced to put any bullets in you. You're out-numbered and we don't ever miss."

Dumbledore seemed to be staring intently at the darkness, his wand lax and limp at his side. Trowa kept to his right, a wall between the Headmaster and whatever dangers the Forest still might have to offer them.

Duo's words seemed to snap him out of whatever daze he'd been in. The wizard cleared his throat softly before speaking to the pilot himself. "I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts. I'm sure you know I can offer you sanctuary if you are in need of it."

"Albus!" Remus hissed in outrage just as the pilot began to reach for something.

"Go!" Heero snapped and the Defense Professor jabbed his wand towards the shadows hiding the mystery.

"Holy Shit!" Duo breathed as Harry Potter stood before them, his own gun at the ready. His face was bloody on one side and the clear burn of a pilot's harness stood out against his neck. One hand was spread over his ribs.

"Harry…." Dumbledore said brokenly, his eyes dark and guilty.

Heero stared at their charge, almost unable to fit this image of Harry with the one from that morning. His hand never wavered from his gun, but the finger on the trigger relaxed in hesitation.

Remus let out a sharp cry before jerking back when his godson's gun snapped in his direction. "Harry!" He exclaimed. "It's- you can't-"

"That's not Harry anymore." Quatre said clearly, his voice hard. "Look at his eyes."

Everyone stood transfixed at the sight of the Boy Who Lived, as he seemed to be talking quietly with himself while his dark, blank eyes never left them.

He looked very much like Quatre had the time he had gone insane under ZERO's control.

"You don't think?" Trowa asked, keeping his question short in present company. They had no idea if either of the other wizards could be trusted.

"He's not even connected to the system anymore!" Wufei hissed, remembering his own bout with ZERO. "Even Quatre and Heero would have snapped out of it by now."

"That shit sticks with you, man." Duo added his voice unsure. He really didn't want to have to hurt Harry. "You can't tell me you don't remember every second you were on that system, Wufei."

"What do we do?" Dumbledore asked, his question directed at Heero. The Japanese Preventer hadn't said a word since 'Go!'

Heero didn't even look away from their target. They were at a standstill – if Harry was still connected to the system; he already knew all of their possible moves. If he wasn't, shooting him would defeat the purpose of being his bodyguard.

"It's his move." Heero said finally but Wufei growled.

"Leg shot – it won't kill him."

"No!" Remus and Heero growled but Wufei had already hit the trigger. Harry leapt away from the bullet, cat-like, and it pinged sharply against the Gundam behind him. His distant argument had stopped at the first shot and he stalked forward intently, close enough for Heero to catch the scroll of numbers across his wide, blank eyes.

'He isn't connected to the system, he is the system.' He thought, feeling it hit like a shot to the throat. His aim corrected itself, going for the shoulder or the leg like Wufei had, when the gun flew out of his hand like it was a feather. Remus cursed as his wand leapt from his own fingers as well. Dumbledore looked astonished.

Harry jerked to a stop, his face changing from emotionless to complete terror in an instant. He stumbled away from them, shaking and white.

"No. Go away. I won't- you said-"

That blank slate fell over his expression again and Harry murmured to himself in a monotone, robotic voice. "It is necessary. They must be eliminated."

Heero broke away from the group, taking a chance as Harry overrode the ZERO system again. He gasped at his bodyguard's proximity.

"Stay back, Heero. I- I need you to- no-"

It would have been comical to see the jade-eyed wizard's face go from blank to terrified and back again had the situation not been so dire. Zero looked out at Heero from behind Harry's face, snapping out one of Harry's hands to curl around his windpipe.

Duo shouted at him as Wufei tried to hold his lover back.

"That's it! Get me a wand and I'll stun him."

"Wait!" Heero commanded his voice harsh from the hand around his neck. "Give us time."

Quatre put a hand on his frantic friend's arm, understanding where Heero was going with this. He'd helped the blond pilot fight ZERO before.

The system cocked Harry's head to the side, studying Heero as the Japanese pilot didn't fight the fingers cutting off his air supply. The numbers in Harry's eyes flickered like static and that was how he knew that somewhere in his head, Harry was fighting this.

His heart pounded as he fought the urge to pull his charge's hand from his neck and the amount of air he breathed in grew smaller and smaller.

"Going to kill me, Potter?" Heero asked in a tiny voice, all he could force out of his lungs. Zero jerked back and Harry filled himself up again. The fingers around Heero's windpipe disappeared and he gasped.

Harry shook, still covered in blood and kept his eyes on Heero as he said "Commencing shutdown in: five, four, three, two, one."

Jade eyes rolled up into his head and Heero caught Harry's limp body before it hit the ground. Remus and Duo were the first to join them, followed by Wufei. Heero looked up to see Quatre, Trowa and Dumbledore watching him intently.

He kept his face blank before turning back to Harry, loose and unconscious in his arms.

Things had just gotten complicated.

* * *

A/N: The next chapters should come pretty regularly now that the Writer's Block has been conquered. Thanks for being patient!

Please review! Remember, for every review not written Harry runs off with Wormtail and they make some ugly, rat ass-babies. Do you see what Supernatural has done to me!?!?

S. Tangerine


	16. The Consenquence of Action

A/N: Sorry! -_-; This is waaaaay later than I'd have hoped but it's been a busy 6 months since my last update. Thanks to Masked Fool for beta-ing and being willing to wade through all my insanity. *GLOMPS*

I should be posting my Supernatural/Harry Potter Crossover after this as well. Like I said- it's been crazy! :D

Just Another Perfect Soldier

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Chapter Sixteen: The Consequence of Action

"He's simply asleep, as far as I can tell." Madam Pomfrey declared stiffly, eying the restraints clenched tightly around her patient's wrists. A matching pair could be found around his ankles, hidden just under the blankets. "A deep sleep, but just as harmless."

"His other injures?" Remus asked, trying to rub a hole in his already thread-bare robes.

The medi-witch frowned. "Healing. The friction burn along his neck and shoulder will be gone by morning, as will the other scrapes and cuts. Three ribs broke cleanly and were easy to repair. The only remaining injury is the concussion; aside from the unexplained sleep."

Dumbledore stood silently in the middle of the room. He looked old and serious. "Thank you, Poppy. Go and get some rest."

She nodded slowly, her eyes bruised and exhausted. No body spoke until the portrait hole thumped shut behind her.

"What time will Lady Une arrive tomorrow, Mr. Winner?" Dumbledore inquired softly, stroking his beard.

Quatre cleared his throat, holding a cup of untouched chamomile tea. "Nine sharp, Headmaster. Wufei sent the message that her presence was urgently desired and she booked the first shuttle from L1."

"I stressed the need for secrecy and caution." Wufei supplied as his comrades nodded or hummed in agreement. Heero barely took his eyes away from Harry's form, breathing deeply on the bed in front of him. Remus made to touch the unconscious wizard's hand, pausing suddenly before contact and quickly curling his fingers away from his godson's skin.

"Are the cuffs really necessary?"

Duo shuffled forward, the end of his braid a puffed-up mess from nervous fingers. "They're padded, professor. Harry will be fine. We're just not sure what state he'll awake in…"

Remus shook his head in a daze, still shocked about the whole affair.

"I can't believe that Harry would- that he would do it." His amber eyes sought out his old professor. "Could it have been a set-up? A mistake?" A shadow clouded his eyes as something else came to mind. "And what was wrong with him? I heard – you all know something."

"Harry was under the influence of something call the Z-" Quatre began, his mouth snapping shut as Trowa firmly touched his shoulder. His green eyes were warm but unreadable as he said "He has no clearance."

Remus balked. "Harry is my godson. If anyone has _clearance _it is _me_."

Dumbledore took out his wand. "Remus, whatever is said in this room must not be repeated to anyone outside those who reside here and now. Am I clear?"

The werewolf blinked at the underlying message. "You want me to swear a Wizard's Oath? Albus, I could lose my magic – my life!"

The Headmaster did not look the least bit repentant. "_Harry's_ life may depend on your silence."

Remus quieted at that thought, pulling out his own wand cautiously and pressing the tip to Dumbledore's. Nothing was said as a bright white flash appeared and wrapped around both hands, winding up to touch each wizard's wrist before fading into their skin.

Dumbledore stepped away again, nodding to Quatre to continue. The blond smiled tightly at his lover before looking straight into Remus' eyes.

"As I was saying before, Harry was under the influence of a computer program called the ZERO System. If he is truly the pilot of the Gundam we found him in, it is not hard to believe that he has been destroying –" Quatre fumbled for words. "That he would do what he has done."

The werewolf stared at Harry like he could see inside his head and get the answers himself. "How? This – Zero is a computer program. What does that have to do with _Harry_?"

"It's advanced technology. It connects directly to a person's neural network." Duo took up the explanation, noticing how the cup in Quatre's hand trembled slightly. Talking about ZERO was not on the blonde's list of top ten things he enjoyed doing.

"It feeds information into the brain – and we're not talking little bits of math equations here – and it forces a pilot's brain to calculate possibilities and probabilities of battle rapidly. While hooked up to the System, the pilot is not only moderately psychic, but hyperaware of his surroundings and hypersensitive to the program's suggestions. The ultimate fighting machine."

"It can store information as well." Trowa added calmly. "ZERO has thousands of scenarios and training modes in its memory. It keeps building upon the basics the creators of the System started with. It also has no room for defeat."

"If Potter was connected to that System all summer, with ZERO imputed with a specific mission goal in mind, it is not hard to believe that the mild-mannered boy you all knew could do unspeakable things." Wufei finished. "No one other than Yuy and Winner has ever mastered the ZERO System. No other pilot would want to."

"That does not explain the change in Harry when he has been away from this program." Dumbledore rebutted. "Does the System cause one to act out when not still connected to it?"

Quatre shook his head, worried. "No. That is what troubles me as well. Harry has no brain damage from constant use nor any way to access ZERO while here – at Hogwarts, or that day in the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey would have found it. We would have seen the signs."

"It's not possible to be connected to ZERO while, um, not connected." Duo agreed, his brows furrowed in thought.

"Yes it is."

Heero stood from his seat at Harry's side, his back and shoulders stiff with anger.

"Harry is connected to the ZERO System at this very moment."

His comrades looked aghast.

"How?!" Wufei demanded harshly. "We left his Gundam buried under mountains of Secrecy Spells and Invisibility Charms. He'd need a neural inference –"

"Not if it was already in his head."

Quatre dropped his cup of tea. "Dear Lord.

Remus began to search through Harry's wild hair - for what, no one was really sure. Duo rubbed his face tiredly.

"Are you talking like bionic here? Seven Million Dollar Man and all that crap? Because that's far out, even for us."

Heero shook his head. "No. I'm not entirely sure how he did it, but Harry isn't just a part of the ZERO System like we were - he is the System."

"You know who did this." Trowa said. It wasn't a question.

He nodded grimly. "I should have seen it earlier- his behavior, specific turns-of-phrase, even his distinct lack of emotional output - It echoes my own training."

Quatre groaned, clutching his chest weakly. "I knew it. I knew he was afraid of the name but I said nothing."

Trowa pulled the hand on the blonde's chest away, threading his fingers through them instead. "You could not have known about this."

Quatre stared up at him, equal parts grateful and guilty. "I kept it from you because it was not mine to share." The explanation was entirely true, yet merely a piece of the whole truth. He would not reveal the knowledge he had been privy to due to the bond forming between Heero and Harry. Especially among those who would either destroy it or bend it to their will.

Duo stepped towards Heero, violet eyes dark. "Are you sure, man? I locked the docs in that room good and proper. I swear."

Heero knew it was true. Duo never lied.

"Dr. J. - this is his work. I'm positive I'm right. Aren't I, Potter?" Heero asked the limp body.

Harry didn't stir and the monitoring spell Pomfrey had set up didn't jump. Remus shot the Japanese wizard a disbelieving look as he advanced on the bed to whisper in Harry's ear, "I know you're awake."

Jade eyes shot open, glaring mulishly. Harry tugged at the restrained with a huff.

"Was this really necessary?"

Heero simply stared at him. "You're a criminal, in case you've forgotten."

Harry stared up at him, hard and unreadable and nothing like any Harry Remus or Dumbledore had ever known. "Why is it the five of you can go on killing sprees under Zero and be hailed heroes while I'm the murderous criminal? Double standards much?"

Heero's eyes widened at the remark as he steeled himself against someone that was not the Harry he lo- the Harry he knew. Zero was still in there and still very much in control.

"Aw, Heero - don't look at him like that." The wizard said softly. "It's not like he killed your puppy or anything."

Quatre made a small noise as Heero turned away from the bed, unable to stop the wave of emotion 'Harry' had dragged from him. God, what else did he know about Heero and his failures?

The restrained wizard gasped suddenly, flinching at something unseen as he thrashed around on the bed slightly. Harry whispered something to himself, just low enough that no one else could catch it, before the tension drained out of him like water going smoothly down the sink.

When he looked up, something was different.

"I'm sorry. I would have never said that-"

The wizard paused, listening to something before scoffing. Quatre stood up and approached him, his eyes wide and disbelieving.

"Heero is correct then? The Zero System is inside you…" The blond wizard swallowed, tilting his head to the side. "I can feel it."

Harry turned his head away, silent and unresponsive. Just like Heero.

* * *

When Commander Une had gotten the call about the rogue Gundam, she hadn't expected it to come from Chang Wufei. She hadn't expected to be called down to Earth and secretly into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

She hadn't expected to find Harry Potter cuffed to a cot either.

"Will someone please explain to me just what is going on here?"

Potter didn't even acknowledge her, his eyes vacant and staring at the wall. It made her skin crawl, the way he seemed to disconnect from the world around him - especially with five trained Preventer Agents and the Leader of the World Police congregated in his room.

"We've discovered the identity and the whereabouts of the rogue Gundam pilot." Wufei stated quietly. His face was as expressionless as Yuy's but each of the former pilots seemed to radiate the same sort of suppressed sadness.

Une looked around the room for some kind of hint as to where the pilot could be stashed. When no one was forthcoming she frowned impatiently. "Well?"

"Potter is the pilot." Heero said suddenly, his back and elbows locked straight with tension. Had she not known better, Une would have sworn she could see hurt and betrayal written all over him.

She turned to look at the young man still chained to the cot. It was surprising and yet, she knew that the doctors who'd made the first set of pilots liked their subjects young. Still, Harry Potter… that was ambitious.

"Is this true, Potter?"

The wizard merely glanced at her, idly playing with a loose thread on the padding of his cuffs. He was smart then, not admitting anything, because he could see that there wasn't a damn thing they could do anyway.

"It seems we have something of a problem then, gentlemen." She said with a sigh. "You all know I can't very well arrest Harry Potter and drag him through the halls of the school to be deported to L1."

"The Muggle World would call for his death." Duo added. "They wouldn't even ask for a trial."

Harry didn't flinch but the air seemed to thicken with unease around him. Heero stepped forward and they locked gazes. Everyone watched them watching each other until Harry looked down and away showing the first sign of emotion Une had seen from him since arriving; he looked ashamed.

"If you arrest Harry, you'll be damning our World to the rule of a tyrant." Dumbledore cut into the silence, startling everyone with his sudden appearance. "I have it on good knowledge that Harry is the only person who can defeat Voldemort."

The Commander scowled at him deeply. "I can't very well leave this case unsolved, Albus. The Preventers' cannot take that kind of failure- especially not in the public's eye."

"What if you find the Gundam mysteriously abandoned? You leave enough blood around and it will look like the pilot became injured and bled out." Duo suggested. "Even if they never find a body, people will assume a wild animal got to him."

"You cannot take my Gundam." Harry said sharply. "She was made specifically for me; she's mine."

"It's not like you'll be using her again." Wufei said logically. "That's not happening, not on our watch."

"You should be grateful I'm not just going 'the hell with it' and tossing you to the public." Une snapped angrily, surprised at his gall.

Harry stared at her, a small dark smirk playing on his face. "If you only knew what they were planning when they kidnapped me."

"Care to enlighten us?" Trowa asked softly, eyes shadowed with intent.

Harry looked at Heero, his face blank. "He told me it was just us. We're the only ones that survived."

His bodyguard looked surprised, though whether it was the news that Harry had gone through what he had- and in such a short span of time- or that there had been more…experiments before and after him was the question.

"Dr. J never tried to put the System in me." He replied back softly and Une physically jolted at the idea.

"_What?!"_ She demanded of her officers. "Will someone tell me-"

"I've been using the Zero System." Harry said frankly, tugging on his cuffs again. "To plan my attacks on Voldemort, Dr. J and every base I can remember the location of."

Commander Une straightened up abruptly. The new Gundam had to go- the whole reason the original five Gundam pilots were pressured into destroying their mechas was because everyone feared the idea of the Zero System surviving the War. There were still many fractions more than willing to use the technology to disrupt the peace.

"I'm taking your Gundam to be destroyed, Potter. We cannot have the Zero System floating around, waiting to be used. It must be destroyed."

Harry laughed at her. Dumbledore crossed the room to grip her shoulder gently.

"The System is not in the Gundam, Lady Une. Harry is the System now."

* * *

Dumbledore invited the Commanding Officer of the Preventers up to his office. They needed to find a way to salvage the situation that would be best for everyone involved.

Quatre and Heero joined them, upon the request of the blond himself. Wufei, Trowa and Duo stayed down in the common rooms, guarding Harry against escape.

"I can't allow Harry to walk around unwatched, Albus." Une snapped. "Professionally or personally. Do you have any idea what that System can do when prompted?"

The old wizard stirred his tea carefully. "I have been made aware by Mr. Yuy. You also granted me clearance to view the files myself."

"You and I both know that papers and second-hand accounts mean nothing when it comes to this kind of danger."

Quatre cleared his throat. "Commander Une is correct. The Zero System does not take into account who is friend and who is foe."

"But Potter does." Heero replied, "I believe that is the whole point of the matter."

Une frowned. "I thought Potter had no control over the System- explaining his captivity and actions while he was a victim of J and the Dark Lord."

"Yet, we have witnessed him take back control from the System as well." Heero parried. "Winner and I understand how the program works, Commander. Harry's actions thus far are not typical ZERO reactions."

Quatre frowned at him. "Even if that were true, it is obvious that the System holds some form of control over him."

Heero stared at his friend, slight disapproval evident on his face. "If you cannot look at this impartially Zero Four, you should not be here." Softer he added, "You are not Harry."

Dumbledore cleared his throat, distracting everyone from the scene before them. "You are all forgetting a frighteningly large part of this problem." He said at last. "We cannot lock Harry up. He is needed… and perhaps now more than ever he is the only person who can stop Lord Voldemort for good."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Une asked him wearily.

Silence passed, seconds ticking into minutes before Quatre cleared his throat.

"I have a solution of sorts. It involves Winner Corps, so I would like your written assurance that my father's company and its employees will not be harmed."

Une nodded. "I'll get Noin to draft it up the moment I leave here." She knew that the pilots and Agent Fire had enough history together that Noin's involvement would not be contested.

Quatre nodded in reply, sending Heero a look. His friend inclined his head, agreeing to something nobody else knew of.

"I will use the remaining Gundanium that my company possesses- for purely scientific reasons- and have Rashid form it into the cock-pit of Harry's Gundam. The Maganacs can covertly pull the piece of the fake Gundam towards Earth's gravity-"

"Quatre! Pulling something that huge towards Earth-"

"We would be able to control its descent, Une." The blond businessman interjected. "How do you think we landed on Earth so smoothly during Operation Meteor?"

The Commander quieted.

"The Gundam will land in the Pacific Ocean. We can manipulate the inside of the Gundam to appear as if a person was ripped from the inside-"

"You want to stage the unknown pilot's death." Heero said flatly. "Hn."

Dumbledore tapped his chin. "I can have a few members of the Order- trusted members," He added at Quatre's and Heero's dark glances. "Perform any kind of spell you need. We'll have to be discreet, of course."

"It will appear as though the pilot left Earth after the last attack and unknowingly entered space with a broken cockpit seal." Une muttered to herself, putting the pieces together. "Yes, this could work. It would solve the problem of a body and if Harry does not attack again…."

"We'll have to be quick but precise. "Quatre admitted. "I'll need to go to L4 as soon as possible."

Dumbledore nodded. "I'll prepare for your leave. Will you be taking Mr. Barton with you?"

The blond smiled softly. "I believe so."

Une nodded firmly. "Very well. Be ready to leave with me. We'll take-off in the morning."

Everyone left to start the process.

* * *

Remus crept into their common rooms nearly an hour after Dumbledore had taken Heero, Quatre and Lady Une up to his office. Trowa stood closest to the entrance, greeting their Professor with a drawn wand and a silently raised eyebrow.

"Mr. Barton," Remus said cordially, even though the world-weary look in his bruised eyes said that this visit was more than just a social call. "Has he said anything?"

Trowa shook his head. "No, sir. He hasn't said a word since the Headmaster spoke on his behalf."

"Could I have a moment with him?"

"Professor," Duo began, trading unreadable looks with his companions. "I'm not sure how much of Harry is Harry right now. You might not end up-"

"I have to try." Remus whispered harshly and stalked past them. Wufei scowled at the professor before silently resting his back against the wall. Trowa stood guard at the entrance hole as Duo hovered worriedly at the fireplace. They couldn't give either Harry or Remus the privacy they would have liked.

"Harry?" Remus approached the bed steadily but his godson didn't move; didn't acknowledge him. Dark green eyes simply stared up at the wall, as dull and vacant as a china doll.

The professor dragged one of the kitchen chairs over towards the bed, sitting just out of reach of his favorite student. Harry didn't even flinch at the scrape of the wood across the rug.

"Harry?" Remus tried again before shaking his head sadly. "It's alright- you needn't say anything; just listen."

The werewolf fell silent then, at a loss. How did he even begin to reach someone so closed off from the world? What could he use to draw Harry out and away from the suffocating presence of this ZERO system?

"I know this isn't you." Remus muttered, jerking slightly in surprise because that hadn't been what he'd wanted to say. He continued on. "I know it. The Harry my friends- your parents died for, the Harry Sirius loved more than anything in this world, would never have done this."

The wizard on the cot didn't react to his words, except for the slightest hint of tension in his shoulders. Remus closed his eyes and said, "I know you" quietly, reassuringly, to himself.

"Do you?"

Harry's voice sounded like broken glass and gravel from misuse. Remus blinked at the cutting tone, not sure how things got so wrong between them. When Remus stopped listening because Harry stopped talking.

"Harry, do you remember during your Fifth year-"

"Why do you do that?" The restrained wizard asked angrily, "Why do you talk to me like I'm- I'm not here? Like I'm not me?"

Remus opened his mouth and closed it again, at a loss. He didn't know how to make Harry see, how to bring him back. It felt like the little boy Lily had placed in his arms while James and Sirius rough-housed, the thin, pale thirteen year old who asked to learn how to protect himself against his nightmarish memories, was gone.

"This is me," Harry said passionately, his voice breaking, "but you just won't see it."

"I know you think you have to do this-"

"You're not listening. You never listen to me," Harry snapped, his eyes flashing ominously with amber numbers. "Stop trying to change me- like they did. The person you thought I was- he's gone," he panted in anger. "Your Harry is dead. Understand?"

Remus was pale, like the day after a full moon, worn and weary and broken. His amber eyes didn't flinch from Harry's furious gaze as he whispered, "You're just tired. You just need to heal… I'll come back when you're feeling better. I'll come back, when you're better."

He stood slowly, like the very movement hurt. Harry's chest began to tighten in an almost foreign emotion. Zero beeped sluggishly into life.

'_A marked increase in heart rate. Rapid breathing. Adrenal secretions. Panic. Fear. He cannot accept you. We must learn to survive without these emotional setbacks.'_

Remus was leaving him, tied to that cot and at the mercy of whatever the other pilots and their fragile, fledgling government decided to do with him. He watched his godfather walked away with an aching burn pulsing in the back of his eyes and throat. He was alone this time. Completely.

Never before had he felt more abandoned.

* * *

Heero was out, sneaking around their common rooms but Harry hadn't slept properly since they had moved him from his spot beside the Japanese wizard and chained him to his bed.

He watched with heavy-lidded eyes as Heero soundlessly moved around him, towards the tiny kitchen island and the kettle still perched there from earlier that afternoon. Only when it was filled to the brim and bubbling did Harry speak.

"Nightmares?"

Heero started, whipping around to stare at Harry in the darkness. His face was perfectly expressionless- and in its own way completely open- as he responded. "Perhaps."

Harry watched him slide along the island, looking perfectly natural as he refused to turn his back on the green-eyed wizard again.

"I'd ease them if I could." He said softly, knowing it carried across the room when Heero flinched.

"They'll fade on their own. There is nothing you can do for them." He said briskly, catching the kettle before it could whistle and alert the others of their conversation.

Harry rolled the words over in his mind, reading into their tone and pitch before pulling up the nerve to ask "Can't I? Or maybe you won't let me?"

The mug on their tiny island overflowed slightly before Heero moved to put it down. He seemed to be struck silent at the statement, his eyes averted and shadowed in the darkness of the night. Harry didn't even bother to wake up Zero; he could feel the other wizard pull away as if he were a band-aid being pulled off a very old, still healing wound.

"You have no idea what you're asking for, Potter." Heero finally settled on, his argument clear and obvious. Harry scoffed at it.

"I am not a child, Heero. I'm not even _innocent_ anymore. They strapped me down and made sure of that."

"That will not make this right, Potter. If anything-"

Harry shook his head, rising up as far as he could from his spot on the bed. "That doesn't mean this is wrong."

"Potter…"

Harry stared at Heero intently, noticing the hard lines of his hips and shoulders and the way he said _'that's final'_ without even muttering a word.

"I have no say in this now? None at all?" He asked, already knowing the answer. It still hit like a punch, solid and true, when Heero said "No."

He wanted to shout loud enough to wake the others, scream until he couldn't even whisper. Sometimes, whenever it came to what he thought was best for Harry, Heero could be worse than Remus.

As if he could hear Harry's thoughts the other wizard turned around sharply. His eyes were bright in the shadows. "I'm under orders to protect you, keep you safe. While you're under my care you're my responsibility Potter, and I refuse to break the trust I have with my superiors on this."

Unexpectedly, Heero's face softened, just enough for Harry to see and know that even if the other wizard wanted this, it was too caught up in his own rules and beliefs to be set free. "I can't offer you anything more than friendship."

Zero would be no help on this, even as it beeped into life and inquired as to the problem. "You don't understand." Harry said softly. "You've seen me- the me I am now, cracked open and true. _Real. _I want you to see that, but how can you not expect me to want more from you?"

Heero picked up his mug calmly, staring down into its murky depths. "There will be others, I'm sure. You are-"

Harry leant forward, the chains rattled against the metal of his cot. "But they won't be you, Heero."

The Japanese wizard gripped his mug so tightly, Harry was almost sure it would break under the pressure. "You will not make me change my mind, Potter." He said, his voice ringing with finality before returned to his bedroom, closing the door softly behind him.

Harry flopped back onto the cot in frustration, ignoring Zero again as he stewed in his own thoughts. He'd pushed aside the idea before, but now it made sense in a way only Harry could seem to see. The fight was over for tonight, ending with Heero's stubborn determination in the lead but while he would not give in, Harry refused to give up.

* * *

A/N: Please Read and Review. Remember, for every review not written a Harry/Goyle plot bunnies is born. *evil grin*


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